An area of forest, knocked down by a huge wind storm five years ago, could be the site of a prescribed burn this fall.
Mike Kitney of the Ministry of Natural Resources says the proposed burn of 112 hectares near Pekagoning Lake, 50 kilometres northwest of Atikokan, will help them determine how fire reacts in the area.
"We have a fuel rating system known as the Canadian Forest Fire Danger rating system," says Kitney, "and the blowdown fuel type that we're seeing in the forest isn't actually recognized. So there's a bit of a knowledge gap. So the biggest thing we'll get out of this is bridging that knowledge gap."
Kitney says a successful outcome could lead to additional burning within the blowdown.
