Merritt Fire and Rescue continue prescribed burning in Bench area

MERRITT — If you see smoke in hills over Merritt there is no need to panic.

Merritt Fire and Rescue have been burning land near the Bench area as part of their prescribed burns for the Spring.

Prescribed burning operations have gone on since the beggining of Spring, specifically in the area above Mountain Drive on the Bench.

The prescribed burns are scheduled to persist until the end of April, or longer, concluding upon the onset of green-up.

Ignition activities will only proceed under favourable weather and venting conditions, ensuring both the safety of the operation and the rapid dissipation of smoke.

Merritt Fire and Rescue are burning land to mitigate wildfire risks in the community.

City of Merritt/MFR

Merrittonians should anticipate the presence of smoke in the Mountain Drive area today, Friday, April 12th (2024.)

Venting conditions are optimal for executing a prescribed burn. Firefighters will be on-site starting at 9 am, remaining throughout the day and conducting patrols into the evening.

Prescribed fire is the planned and intentional use of fire on a specific land area.

It is one of the most ecologically appropriate and relatively efficient means for achieving a range of objectives. The goal of these burns is to mimic naturally occurring ground fires and reduce the level of dead and combustible material in grassland and open forest areas.

burning log | cfjc today

The removal of forest fuels helps reduce the threat of interface wildfires.

Prescribed fire in these forest interface areas will help protect homes, businesses, and other infrastructure.

This practice can also discourage insect infestations and help fire-adapted plant species reproduce.

Prescribed fire can also contribute to achieving air quality and climate action targets by preventing large, intense wildfires and replacing them with more frequent, well-timed, well-planned low-intensity fires.