Smoke from training exercise will be visible north of Merritt

NEWS/ WILDFIRES — Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, but in this case it’s all under control.

Wildfire Management Branch personnel will conduct a series of small burns north of Merritt off the Coquihalla Highway, between Thursday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 5. It’s expected the smoke from the exercise will be visible for some distance.

The controlled burns are in preparation for a week-long training course called “Wildland Fire Origin and Cause Determination.” Along with their classroom studies, students will work at the sites of these small fires.

Wildfire Management Branch firefighters will learn how to determine where the fires started, what caused them and how they spread. They will also be trained to collect evidence that, in the case of a real wildfire, could be used to prosecute the person who started the fire.