Prescribed burn projects taking place near Merritt, East Barriere Lake

Oct 6, 2026 | 10:27 AM

KAMLOOPS — A pair of prescribed burns in the North Thompson and Nicola regions are slated to take place this month.

Nearly five kilometres west of Merritt, the BC Wildfire Service says crews will burn up to 200 piles of organic material, woody debris and tree limbs to reduce wildfire risks. In a news release issued Tuesday (Oct. 6), the wildfire service says the work in the Lindley Creek Road area, in partnership with the Cascades Natural Resource District, has been ongoing for three years.

Smoke may be visible from Merritt and the surrounding area, along with Highways 5 and 8.

The wildfire service says the prescribed burn near Merritt could begin as early as Tuesday, Oct. 13, and continue until April 30, 2027. However, the start of the burn is dependent on site and weather conditions.

“Burning will proceed if conditions are suitable and allow for smoke dispersal during burn operations, though smoke may also linger in the following days,” the wildfire service says.

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Further north, the wildfire service says crews will burn up to 15 piles of woody debris at the East Barriere weather station.

Smoke from piles may be visible to residents from East Barriere Lake and the surrounding area. Pile burning will only proceed if conditions are favourable, but the wildfire service says the work could begin as early as Wednesday (Oct. 7).

“This is routine maintenance of critical infrastructure with the purpose to maintain the weather station and surrounding area so the weather station can collect accurate weather readings that inform fire danger ratings,” the wildfire service says.

Residents can report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation to the BC Wildfire Service by contacting *5555 on a cell phone.

by Aaron Schulze

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Prescribed burn projects taking place near Merritt, East Barriere Lake

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