Image Credit: Kent Simmonds / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

FIRESMART IMPROVEMENTS

Next round of prescribed burns planned for Peterson Creek, Lac Du Bois areas

Mar 11, 2025 | 4:40 PM

KAMLOOPS — People in Kamloops may have noticed plumes of smoke periodically appearing in the city last week, which marked the start of a series of prescribed burns planned for the area.

The practice is meant to manage dry vegetation and reduce the severity of wildfire risk in key areas. It’s become a regular part of preparing for summer fire season.

Charred patches can be seen throughout the Rose Hill park area after the first of several prescribed burns wrapped up last week.

“We have a burn in Peterson Creek, roughly 17 hectares in size,” explains the city’s FireSmart Liasion Kathleen Cahoon. “The second burn is in Lac Du Bois right behind Batchelor Heights and that’s a 10-hectare prescribed burn.”

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The idea is to reduce fuels near the ground, but the timing of this burn work depends on the weather. If there isn’t an ideal window this spring, those burns will instead be conducted in the fall.

“With all these burns we are focusing on areas in the wildland interface,” she adds. “Where the natural ecosystem crosses over with buildings, homes, infrastructure and that kind of stuff.”

Kamloops residents know all too well what that danger looks like after an intense fire in the hills between Juniper Ridge and Valleyview several years ago.

“[We’re] just limiting the intensity of any wildfire. We can’t stop a wildfire from coming through. All we can do is those preventative measures,” adds Cahoon.

Cahoon says the city, BC Wildfire Service, and Tk’emlups teamed up for the nearby prescribed burn plans, but adds that the other part of prevention work will need involvement on a community-wide level.

“We do have FireSmart assessments through the City of Kamloops, so getting those done and being able to do the work on your property to ensure more success if a wildfire was to come through to keep your home standing.”

More information on the City’s FireSmart program, and how to request a FireSmart assessment can be found here.