Vernon firefighters prepare to torch pine beetle deadfall

VERNON – The Vernon Fire Department is planning to fight fire with fire this month.

In conjunction with the Ministry of Forests, Vernon Fire and Rescue Services will be burning 500 acres above the Rise Golf Course, extending back toward Canadian Lake Estates. The property has a large build-up of deadfall from mountain pine beetles and a history of numerous lightning strikes. Burning up the fuel should decrease future wildfire risks.

Due to the large area, work will begin in November after the first major snowfall in order to maintain safe conditions.

“Although the burning will be carried out such that there will be very little impact to residents, people should be aware that there may be smoke plumes on the northwestern border of the city,” City of Vernon communications officer Tanya Laing Gahr said in a release.

The burn is part of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which targets specific areas for fuel modification. The dead fall will be collected into small piles and burned, and closely monitored by Vernon firefighters.

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