A prescribed burn being conducted in this file photo. (Image Credit: BC Wildfire Service)

By Victor Kaisar

Wildfire Preparation

Pair of postponed prescribed burns in Kamloops scheduled for spring 2026

Dec 21, 2025 | 3:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops says a 17 hectare prescribed burn in Peterson Creek Park – that was initially set to take place this past spring – remains a top priority next year.

FireSmart Liaison Kathleen Cahoon told the city’s Safety and Security Select Committee that the work is currently scheduled to take place in the spring of 2026.

“The area itself presents an elevated wildfire risks to the surrounding neighbourhoods of Upper Sahali due to Peterson Creek being a recreational corridor, the proximity to Highway 5 as well as the amount of overgrown sagebrush in the area,” Cahoon said at the Dec. 18 meeting.

Cahoon also told the committee that the burn was not done this fall after a decision that was made in consultation with Tkemlúps te Secwépemc.

“It was important for us to complete a culturally modified tree assessment within the burn area,” she said. “The archeological team from Tkemlúps did identify a few areas of interest within the burn area, so we are working with them to mitigate those before we actually put fire on the landscape.”

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“Once the burn is completed, Tkemlúps te Secwépemc will conduct a post-burn impact assessment to ensure the integrity of the landscape was maintained during the ignition operations.”

Cahoon added that a 10 hectare burn in Batchelor Heights that was also postponed by unfavourable weather was not completed this fall as the burn window could not be used because of grazing schedules.

“We are now targeting spring 2026,” Cahoon said. “This treatment will help reduce the intensity and rapid spread of sagebrush fires, which pose a significant hazard to residents adjacent to Lac du Bois.”

An eight-hectare burn at Rose Hill Park was completed in March this year.

Cahoon also told the committee that the city is working with BC Parks, the BC Wildfire Service, and Tkemlúps te Secwépemc on another 43.6 hectare prescribed burn within the Lac du Bois Grasslands.

“The project is currently in the early planning stages, with further updates and maps to be provided as it progresses,” Cahoon noted. “This burn will not be conducted in 2026. This is more of a couple years out kind of plan.”

For more information on wildfire protection in Kamloops, go here.