Forest fires: how fast will they burn? ‘Burn trials’ underway near Oliver

The B.C. Wildfire Service is deliberately setting small fires near Oliver, to see how fast they burn.

They’re called ‘burn trials’ and are done to assess the current wildfire situation and see what fuel is on the forest floor.

“This low-intensity fire will be studied to assess fire behaviour potential related to a specific fuel type,” said fire information officer Melissa Klassen in a news release.

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“This information helps the BC Wildfire Service determine the fire risk in a given area.”

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A trial burn is usually no larger than 50 metres by 50 metres.

“BC Wildfire Service personnel will be on site at all times to ensure that the fire does not spread beyond its intended size and is fully extinguished by the end of the day,” said Klassen.

Penticton air tankers are using the burn trials as training, so residents shouldn’t be alarmed if they seen tankers dropping retardant in the area.