Warning of visible smoke from controlled burns in Lytton wildfire battle

LYTTON – Wildfire crews will be generating a lot of smoke as they conduct controlled burns in the fight against the forest fire burning near Lytton.

Fire Information Office Kayla Pepper says the crews will be burning on the south and northeast sides of the Cisco Road Wildfire over the next four days.

The smoke will be visible from Highway 1, Lytton and other communities in the area, Pepper says in a media release.

She says the controlled burn operations will restrict the spread of the wildfire.

“Burning between established control lines and the fire's perimeter will also help protect values in the area and create a safer working environment for firefighters,” she says in the release.

Pepper can’t say exactly when the burns will happen because it will depend on the weather and conditions on the ground.

“The Ignitions Specialist will proceed only if weather and fire behaviour conditions are suitable,” she says. “The fire will be monitored at all times.”

Wildfire crews will be building fire guards around the areas to be burned to reinforce the boundaries, she says. A system of pumps and hoses is in place and helicopters will be helping to start the controlled fires and to suppress them if necessary.

As of Sunday, June 14, the blaze was 20 per cent contained. The human-caused fire was sparked around noon, Thursday, June 11.