Parks Canada will be igniting the Parkway Bend prescribed fire this afternoon, Sept. 11.
The summit of Mt. Revelstoke is closed until Sunday, Sept. 13, due to the fire, including the Meadows in the Sky Parkway and all trails beyond the Columbia Viewpoint as well as the Eva and Jade backcountry campsites.
The best burn window is between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., said Shelley Bird, spokesperson, however, crews will be in position to ignite via heli-torch any time after noon.
The Parkway Bend prescribed fire site is located 17 km up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway.
FROM 2018: Parkway Bend burn planned for this fall
The primary goal of the fire is to create a landscape-level fuel break, limiting the potential spread of wildfire on the front face of Mount Revelstoke.
The fire will also improve forest health, according to a news release from Parks Canada.
Prescribed burns are conducted under exacting conditions which include weather, moisture, wind direction and supporting resources and will only go forward when the safety of the public, fire crews, infrastructure and neighbouring lands can be assured.
Heli-torches are containers fill with fuel suspended underneath helicopters. The pilot ignites the mixture onto vegetation for rapid and effective burning on the ground and in treetops.
Smoke from the fire will be visible in Revelstoke and along the Trans Canada Highway.
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