Fire ban sign along Hwy 62 Centre Hastings, Photo via QNet News
By Matthew Morgan [1]
BELLEVILLE – The fire ban in Quinte West is over. However, a fire ban remains in place in Prince Edward County, Centre Hastings and other area municipalities.
The first local burn ban was imposed last Thursday by Quinte West. The ban in Centre Hastings went into effect Saturday, while Prince Edward County fire chief Scott Manlow issued a ban for his region on Monday.
The bans prohibits all outdoor burning, including brush fires, campfires and burn barrels.
On Wednesday Derrick Little, fire chief of the Stirling-Rawdon fire department said that the fire ban is still in effect and came to order last Saturday.
Environmental Canada [2] is calling for rainfall in its forecasts for the next few days.
“With more precipitation we get it will definitely help taking it off,” Little said in regards to lifting the fire ban for Stirling-Rawdon.
“Were going to watch it closely before we take it off.”
The ground water levels are rather low and the ground itself is rather dry for this time of year Little said. “We have websites for both municipalities Tweed and Stirling and they have the burn status available on them.”
Little explains the punishable penalties when burning without a permit or during a ban.”We work on a permit system so if someone burns without a permit its a $200.00 fine and there suppose to call in before they burn. When they call in they are notified about the ban. He said that depending on the severity of the fire, the perpetrator will get fined and cold get billed up to the price of the trucks.
Robert Rutter, deputy chief of the Prince Edward County fire department [3], told QNet News Tuesday morning that two out-of-control grass fires are what triggered the ban. Late last week a partial ban was in place, but it was raised to a total ban Monday, he said.
Bob Branscombe, chief of the Centre Hastings fire department [4], said his crews also had to deal with a grass fire, on Moira Road on Saturday afternoon.
“The high winds and the dryness of the grass (are) what seemed to have caused the fire,” Branscombe said. “When you have high winds and dry vegetation, the vegetation is going to burn and the wind is going to drive it.”
This is the time of year when burn bans usually go into effect, Whelan said, although Rutter and Little said it’s a bit earlier than usual. “It’s usually after April sometimes mid-April just after easter when these things go in effect but this year is particularly dry and its a early dry spring.”
In Quinte West, fire chief John Whelan said the ban there was also due to a fire: “We had a big fire last week on Grills Road that took out about a kilometre of brush.”
The fact that it’s been windy lately has added to the danger, he said. On Wednesday chief Whelan said the rain fall had led to his decision to remove the ban and local residents, with burn permits, are now allowed to burn yard waste and have camp fires.
However, Little said that the conditions will be monitored each day, and the restrictions will be reinstated if necessary.
There is still a total burn ban in Prince Edward County, and other area municipalities.