Prescribed burn planned along Highway 20/Hanceville Area...

Courtesy of the BC Wildfire Service:

When and where

• Burning is expected to begin as early as Friday, March 27, 2026 and may continue periodically until June 1, 2026 

• The prescribed burns will take place on approximately 20 hectares of land between Hanceville and Chilanko Forks, adjacent to Highway 20.

• Ignitions will only proceed if conditions are safe, with favorable weather and atmospheric venting allowing smoke to clear quickly.

What to expect

• Smoke and flames will be visible from Riske Creek, Tl'esqox, Tŝideldel, Yunesit’in, T’letinqox, Alexis Creek, Highway 20 and surrounding areas.

• Crews will ignite ground fuels to remove combustible materials and mimic a naturally occurring wildland fire.

• While burning is underway, traffic control will be on-site to ensure the safety of public and firefighters, short delays may occur.

• Firefighters will closely monitor the fire activity at all times during the burn.

• Personnel will remain on-site into the evening to ensure the burns are fully extinguished at the end of each day and will only leave once there is no risk of the fire spreading.

• Smoke from within the perimeter of the burn may be visible up to 72 hours after ignition.

Objectives of this prescribed burn

• Reduce wildfire risk along the Highway 20 corridor.

• Reduce fire damage to highway, utility and range infrastructure.

• Use fire to restore grassland and forest health to encourage a properly functioning ecosystem.

• Strengthen collaboration between BC Wildfire Service and local communities outside of emergency response situation.

 

Learn more

Fire is a natural process in many of B.C.’s ecosystems. The BC Wildfire Service works regularly with land managers to undertake fuel management activities, including the use of prescribed burns, to help reduce the severity of future wildfires and related threats to communities.

 

Learn more about prescribed burning online at prescribedfire.ca or find more resources here.

Prescribed burn planned for rural Central Cariboo-Chilcotin areas

Courtesy of the BC Wildfire Service:

Upcoming #PrescribedBurn in the rural Central Cariboo-Chilcotin areas 

Locations: 

* Chimney and Felker Lake recreation sites

* north and south sides of Highway 20 near Tŝideldel First Nation

* 35 hectares, along Highway 20 between Hanceville and Chilanko Forks 

Background: 

* Projects to commence later this week (April 2-4, 2025) and conclude April 18th, 2025, all subject to favourable conditions

* Smoke and flames will be visible 

* Crews will ignite ground fuels with hand torches and will control and closely monitor fire activity.

* While burning is underway, traffic control will be on-site to ensure the safety of public and firefighters, short delays may occur

For more information: 

* Prescribed Burning: https://prescribedfire.ca/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=25-Rx-Burn-Central---Westridge&utm_source=Envoke-IB---Central-Zone&utm_term=Information-Bulletin%3A-Prescribed-burn-planned-near-Westridge

* Cariboo Fire Centre: 

Information Officer

Ph: 778 799-2100

Email: CaFCInfo@gov.bc.ca

EV Charging Station comes to Hanceville!

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

British Columbia’s provincewide electric vehicle (EV) charging network will get four new sites in the coming months.

The number of EV charging stations throughout the province is growing rapidly. B.C. now has over 2,000 public Level 2 charging stations and 200 public fast-charging sites, with over 480 fast-charging stations.

“Our growing EV charging network is making it easier and safer for people who own electric vehicles to travel around the province,” said the Hon. Rob Fleming, BC's Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Now, British Columbians can choose greener transportation options, which is part of our commitment to a cleaner, stronger economy.”

This fall, the ministry is installing four new electric vehicle charging station sites. Each site will host two fast chargers and one Level 2 charger (total of 12 charging stations).

• Hanceville Lookout rest area: near Hanceville, about 85 kilometres west of Williams Lake on Highway 20

“People in B.C. continue to lead when it comes to making the right transportation choices, and we continue to support that positive change,” said the Hon. George Heyman, BC's Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “These stations are part of the next stage in an expanded network to accelerate action on climate change and reduce air pollution while increasing economic opportunities.”

Westcana Electric Inc. will build the new EV charging stations. The project is expected to be completed by late December 2021. All four charging sites are expected to be open to the public beginning in 2022.

Since 2018, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has installed EV charging stations at 22 locations along B.C. highways. These four new projects will bring that total to 26.

Six of the existing charging stations serve residents and businesses in B.C.’s northern region. The addition of the Motz Road and Mount Terry Fox rest area stations bring this total to eight. The ministry is also exploring charging options along Highways 20 and 97 to further support electric vehicle owners in rural and northern B.C.

Making electric vehicles more affordable, investing in charging stations, and ensuring a greater availability of zero-emission vehicles in B.C. are all part of the Province’s CleanBC Plan.

CleanBC is a pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future. It supports government’s commitment to climate action to meet B.C.’s emission targets and build a cleaner, stronger economy for everyone.

Learn More:

To learn more about CleanBC, visit: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/

For more information about the Go Electric program, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/zeroemissionvehicles

On the CleanBC Go Electric page, see the link to PlugShare’s map: https://www.plugshare.com/