A total fire ban has been implemented across Haliburton County, with regional fire coordinator Michael French saying conditions locally “have advanced to the extreme… and it’s only going to get worse.”
The ban came into effect noon Aug. 5 and includes the townships of Algonquin Highlands, Dysart et al, Highlands East and Minden Hills. French said this means no outdoor burning is allowed at any time, day or night.
“We’re telling people there should be no open flames. That means no campfires or fireworks… torches and the lighting of charcoal barbecues, as well as any other light sources that use an open flame, are prohibited,” French said.
Cooking fires are also banned, though propane and gas-powered barbecues are allowed.
French, who heads up the fire department in Algonquin Highlands, said the decision was made following discussions between the County’s four fire chiefs and officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF). He said the ministry, which conducts assessments at its Stanhope office, recently advanced conditions to ‘extreme’.
“If we did have a fire start, it would be fast-moving and would be considerably hard to control,” he said. “We’re being proactive… we can’t afford [not to be careful]. The way our townships are [geographically], a forest fire would be devastating for us.”
He said there haven’t been many fire-related calls over the past couple weeks, noting that’s a result of the daytime burning ban in place across the Highlands. Introduced last year, the new rules prohibit open-air fires between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. from April 1 to Oct. 31.
“That’s really helped to control the daytime burning, which gave us a little leniency for calling the total fire ban. In the evenings there’s more moisture and humidity, less winds, so we didn’t have to be as aggressive.
“We really wanted to hold off as long as we could, but it’s at the point now that it’s a risk over reward. It’s not beneficial,” French said.
The ban will remain in place until at least Aug. 12, with the four chiefs meeting next week to re-evaluate conditions. French said there’s no significant rain in the area’s 10-day forecast, meaning conditions are likely “only going to get worse.
“Until we get some very substantial rains, it’ll stay in effect,” he said.
Fines for violating the fire ban start at $500, with French saying people will also be billed for any calls due to a prohibited fire. Charges will depend on the number of vehicles and firefighters responding and time spent on-site. He confirmed some people were charged last year.
“People have got to respect the rules, they’re put in for a reason,” French said.
