Burns Bog fire officially out, but crews watching for flare-ups

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DELTA (NEWS 1130) – Almost a month after a massive fire in Delta at Burns Bog, the last few hot spots are finally out. Crews will be keeping a close eye for the rest of the summer for any flare-ups.

The bog can be a tricky place for firefighters to get into and the peat can make it tough to completely extinguish lingering hot spots.

Delta Mayor Lois Jackson says the last few areas of concern have been given the all clear. “They went up and did the whole helicopter thing and they have come back, [after finding] nothing.”

She says it couldn’t have been done without the hard work and cooperation of various fire crews. “We are all very happy of course, so we are just carrying on. [We are] still on fire partol as we will be all summer.”

“We are very happy to have people all along the North Delta Ridge. They overlook the whole bog. They are our excellent eyes and ears for anything that looks like smoke in the area.”

Eliza Olson with the Burns Bog Conservation Society says the main thing now is to keep the water table up. “[That will] reduce the availability for invasive plants to come in, and encourages the re-colonization of the area.”

She adds the only way to do that is to make sure ditches are plugged and reduce projects in the area that drain the bog.

The fire grew to more than 75 hectares at its peak, forcing the temporary closure of Highway 17. The cause is still under investigation.

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