File Photo (Image Credit: BC Wildfire Service)

By Victor Kaisar

Prescribed Burn

Prescribed burn planned near O’Connor Lake as BCWS prepares for multi-year fuel management project

Mar 6, 2026 | 9:47 AM

KAMLOOPS — The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has announced plans for a roughly four hectare prescribed burn in the O’Connor Lake area in the North Thompson, about 23 kilometres north of Kamloops.

Crews from the BCWS will be supporting the Thompson Rivers Natural Resource District in doing the work at approximately the 4.5 kilometre mark on the O’Connor Lake FSR. It could begin as early as March 16.

“This will be a multi-year project that will combine targeted mechanical harvesting, fuel management treatments, and prescribed fire to reduce the encroachment of trees on grasslands and to open forested areas to support the reintroduction of grass,” the BCWS said in a statement.

“When conditions allow, prescribed burns will take place in this area over the next 10 years. This spring, we will be conducting a prescribed burn covering approximately four hectares.”

Smoke may be visible from the City of Kamloops as well as Heffley Creek and surrounding areas. People travelling along Highway 5 North may also see smoke once the burn gets underway.

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“The exact timing of this burn will depend on weather and site conditions,” the BCWS statement added. “Burning will proceed if conditions are suitable and allow for smoke dispersal during burn operations, though smoke may also linger in the following days.”