Wildfire hazard reduction work to resume next month

The County of Grande Prairie will resume some work meant to reduce the wildfire hazard in two areas next month.
 
Fire Chief Dan Verdun says this includes a spot north of Evergreen Park and another south of Bear Ridge Estates.
 
“This is vegetation management, so it boils down to the felling or thinning of current trees. Primarily, it’s the removal of deadfall and downed trees, so a lot of the pine beetle-specific kill, but done with a minimal amount of disturbance, leaving the appropriate trees in place to ensure we don’t run into issues like bank erosion. We’re really just talking about thinning the potential fuel load. The dead trees pose quite an issue when it comes to fuel packeting, which allows for fire spread.”
 
Verdun adds useable wood will go to local mills.
 
“(They) would utilize it for whatever their purpose is, whether it’s pulp or lumber. The trees that are dead to the point where they’re not of value, then they would, in most cases, be burned. They would be piled and burned in order to destroy them and remove the fuel potential.”
 
Any burning would not be done until November when wildfire season is over. These would be controlled burns. Verdun says crews should start removing the dead trees in late August.
 
County of Grande Prairie Council approved a bid worth $466,454 to do this work at its July 16 meeting.