BCWS, Lower Nicola Indian Band announce plans to finish 3-year cultural burn project near Merritt

The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the final portion of a multi-year cultural burn project near Merritt will be finished in the coming weeks.

The three-year project is being conducted in conjunction with the Lower Nicola Indian Band (LNIB) and includes a total of 249 hectares of land, located about six kilometres west of Merritt off Highways 8 and 97C.

The burn is meant to reduce the fuel load in urban interface areas, eliminate cured grasses so traditional plants can re-establish, and improve grazing feed for ungulates. It will also provide learning and training opportunities for LNIB firefighters and students in the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s Fire Ecology Department.

In a news release, BCWS says the effort to burn the final 50 hectares could begin as soon as March 2, but will depend on weather and site conditions.

Once it gets underway, smoke will likely be visible for residents of Merritt, Lower Nicola, and Nicola Mameet IR #1, as well as motorists on surrounding highways.