This case study details the prescribed fire conducted by BC Wildfire Service in partnership with the Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative (SIFCo) on April 14, 2021 in the Slocan Valley, BC. The purpose of the project was to create landscape level fuel breaks to reduce the threat of landscape level wildfires in the slocan valley.
"Benefits of Prescribed Fire
Cultural and prescribed fire is the planned and controlled application of fire to a specific land area. It’s a natural part of our ecosystem, which is why it’s not only ecologically appropriate to use for wildfire mitigation. It’s also one of the most cost-effective means for achieving a variety of land management objectives." - prescribedfire.ca
"Cultural Burning
Indigenous Peoples are the stewards of the land, fire is a cleanser of Mother Earth and cultural burning is a tool of the Fire Keeper. A new call to bring back the balance in the forest and the need to enhance the fire safety of communities is a much needed breath of fresh air. Revive cultural burning practices, bring back burn cycles, and restore the land so all can thrive." – Joe Gilchrist and Harry Spahan (members of the Interior Salish Fire Keepers Society) Quote from page 7, Blazing the Trail book
"In April, 2021 the BC Wildfire Service and the Slocan Integral Forestry Cooperative (SIFCo) conducted a prescribed fire of about 150 hectares of land in Slocan Valley, BC.
The purpose of this project was to create fuel breaks in the landscape that will help reduce the threat of future summer wildfires, some which can burn for months on end." - FireSmart BC
To learn more about the importance of prescribed fire, watch: