CASTLEGAR – If weather permits tomorrow, Sept. 29, 2016, the BC Wildfire Service will conducting an 11.7-hectare prescribed burn four kilometres north of Nevertouch Lake, 50 kilometres east of Kelowna.

This prescribed burn will help reduce wildfire risk in the area, and smoke is expected to be visible from Big White Mountain and Highway 33 over the next two to three days. Lingering smoke could persist for up to two weeks.

The goal of this burn is to reduce the amount of dead and combustible material (fuel load), delay the growth of competitive bush and decrease the risk of catastrophic wildfires. Trained BC Wildfire Service personnel will carefully monitor the fires at all times.

This prescribed burn, which is being conducted in coordination with the Selkirk Resource District, is part of a fuel reduction prescription to prepare the treatment site for tree planting.

All prescribed burns must comply with the Environmental Management Act and the open burning smoke control regulation. This helps minimize the amount of smoke generated.

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call 1-800-663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, visit: http://www.bcwildfire.ca.