West Kelowna council asked to stop developers from burning

Some residents of upper Glenrosa would like the City of West Kelowna to prevent land developers from burning off unwanted trees.

Smoke from such fires, area resident Dave Smith says, may jeopardize public health and diminish the livability of established neighbourhoods.

Better solutions, Smith told West Kelowna council on Tuesday, might be on-site chipping and mulching.

Some councillors thought Smith raised good points, and they wanted municipal staff to consider the suggestions.

Others, however, said chipping would be noisy and pointed out that since the machines use diesel fuel, it could not be thought to be more environmentally friendly than a controlled burn.

West Kelowna fire officials told council the city already has strict burning regulations that mirror what are said to be best practices in other jurisdictions.

City manager Jim Zaffino told council staff would bring back a report on the matter within 90 days.

“I think we should be especially sensitive in relation to burning that takes place in close proximity to neighbourhoods,” Mayor Doug Findlater said.

But Findlater said a “cautious” approach should be taken before considering a ban on land-clearing fires.

Such controlled burns in the winter, he said, may be an important part of forestry management operations that limit the risk of out-of-control wildfires from sweeping into communities in the height of summer.