By Greg Fry

Public urged to exercise caution on wildfire-affected Crown land in the Cariboo

Jun 8, 2018 | 2:52 PM

WILLIAMS LAKE — 2017 was a devastating year for wildfires in the Cariboo and the BC Wildfire Service is doing what it can to help mitigate that risk this year.

It’s doing so by establishing fireguards on Crown land where wildfires occurred in 2017. These areas are not for vehicles, including off-road vehicles.

A fireguard is a strip of land running along a wildfire’s perimeter that is cleared of vegetation and other flammable material to slow a fire’s spread. They are built manually by ground crews or by heavy equipment such as bulldozers, excavators or tractors. Firefighters then use these open areas to fight fires and help bring a wildfire under control.

Anyone travelling or taking part in recreational activities near fireguards should be aware of the following risks:

• Heavy machinery (including excavators, skidders and graders) may be working on or near fireguards. Stay clear of any such machinery at all times.
• Existing off-road vehicle (ORV) trails now may be impassable, due to the effects of fire and fireguard construction.
• Fireguards may be impassable due to a rehabilitation treatment called “pullback”, in which soil and wood debris is distributed along the fireguard.
• Trees and tree roots within burned areas can be severely damaged by fire, making the trees unstable. They could fall down without warning at any time.
• Increased water flow from the spring runoff (freshet) may have washed out sections of roads, trails and fireguards, which could result in deep ditches across your intended route.

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Off-roaders are also reminded that they must remain vigilant at all times while travelling on Crown land. That includes using spark arrestors which are now required.