wildfires

A grassfire along Jaffray Baynes Lake Road prompted a full response from the South Country Fire Departments this evening.

Saturday, May 6th is Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and residents across the East Kootenay are being asked to take action to help protect their homes and properties from the risk of wildfire.

“The probability of damaging wildfires has increased in recent years and it’s important that residents prepare themselves and their homes for the possibility that a wildfire will happen near to their community,” explains RDEK Wildfire Resilience Supervisor Terry Balan.

With spring in the air, many people will be heading outside to do spring clean up around their homes and properties and the RDEK is urging residents doing any spring burning to use caution.

“Anyone doing spring burning must make sure they are taking steps to be prepared by having a water source, shovel or tools, burning when it’s not windy and staying on site monitoring the fire until it is completely out,” says Columbia Valley Rural Fire & Rescue Chief Jim Miller.