Prescribed burns planned for West Arm Provincial Park near Nelson
By Nelson Daily Staff
This fall BC Parks and the BC Wildfire Management Branch plans to conduct a prescribed burn on 25 hectares in West Arm Provincial Park near Nelson to reduce wildfire hazard and to restore natural ecosystems in the park.
As well, they will be doing a prescribed burn on 20 hectares in Syringa Provincial Park near Castlegar.
The West Arm burn will take place in the area of the park closest to Nelson (Svoboda subdivision) and there will be no access to the park on foot or on mountain bikes while the burn takes place. Area residents will see smoke and may see some open flame.
The Syringa Provincial Park burn will take place in and around the campground and day-use areas. Smoke and open flame will be visible from some locations and traffic along Deer Park Road may be interrupted or reduced to single-lane traffic for short periods.
The Syringa and West Arm prescribed burns will be carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and will be ignited only when conditions are ideal for smoke to dissipate quickly. In addition, trained crews and all necessary fire-fighting equipment will be available on site.
These prescribed burns are the final step in fuel reduction and ecological restoration projects that took place in 2008 for Syringa Provincial Park and in 2009 and 2010 for West Arm Provincial Park.
Controlled fire mimics natural wildfire by burning slowly over areas where brush, trees or other forest fuels have been reduced.
Fire removes dead material, discourages insect infestation and outbreaks of disease, increases available nutrients for vegetation, limits in-growth of smaller trees in grassland areas and allows fire-adapted species to thrive.
Prescribed burns are a key part of reducing forest fuels that have built up over time largely due to wildfire suppression and mountain pine beetle infestation. These controlled burns reduce forest fuels and the risk of catastrophic wildfire in critical areas BC parks.
About WIST
The West Arm Interface Steering Team was established following the 2003 wildfire season to facilitate communication between groups and agencies responsible for wildfire preparation and response.
Members include the City of Nelson, RDCK, local fire departments, forest companies, Ministry of Forests Lands and Natural Resources Operations, Wildfire Management Branch, Ministry of Environment and BC Parks and other local organizations.
WIST meets semi-annually to ensure a coordinated approach to concerns and issues related to urban-wildland interface fire.
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