Wildfire prevention work is underway in Lois Creek.
Canfor is working with local partners in the Lois Creek area of Kimberley, BC to reduce wildfire risk and help protect communities, trails and watersheds.
Over the past decade, the frequency and severity of wildfires near communities have increased. Longer, more intense wildfire seasons are now a recurring reality, posing significant risks to public safety, wildlife habitat and local watersheds.
Canfor takes a proactive approach to wildfire prevention in the forests it manages and the communities where it operates. As spring approaches, mitigation efforts are underway.
Proactive measures in Lois Creek.
In British Columbia, the Rocky Mountain District Wildfire Risk Reduction (WRR) Team, in coordination with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), has identified the need for proactive wildfire risk reduction measures in the Lois Creek area.
Planned work includes the creation of a shaded fuel break designed to reduce the rate of spread and intensity of a potential wildfire while maintaining an overstory of trees to provide shade for soil and vegetation. This treatment involves removing underbrush and trees that pose fuel hazards, while retaining enough healthy, established trees to maintain shade and moisture under the canopy. Priority will be given to removing mountain pine beetle-killed and infested trees, while larger, more fire-resilient Douglas fir and Larch trees will be preserved where feasible.
Canfor will conduct the preventative work, with support from local, experienced contractors and in cooperation with the District WRR team, BCWS, and the Kimberley Fire Department. All activities will comply with regulatory requirements and follow sustainable forest management practices.
Preparatory work—including area marking with flagging tape and assessments of hydrology, soil, wildlife, archaeological, ecosystem, and fuel conditions—will take place from winter through spring 2026. Forestry activities to establish the fuel break are planned for winter 2026/2027, with harvested timber processed at nearby sawmills.
Recreation Sites and Trails BC, along with Friends of Lois Creek, have been consulted to help maintain recreational access while work is underway. Informational maps will be posted at Lois Creek trailheads.
For more information, contact:
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