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Delayed spring makes for increased fire risk

Take care with fires this long weekend
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If you're planning on heading out to the cottage or campsite this long weekend, make sure you're taking extra precaution when tending to the fire.

Natural Resources Canada's wildland fire researchers are forecasting much of Canada to have an above normal fire risk this summer, in part due to a delayed spring and above normal temperatures on the horizon.

Here in northern Ontario, we were hit with some unseasonably cold temperatures and snowfall late into April, and while there may be an assumption that snow and cold weather in early spring could reduce fire risk, the opposite is true.

"When we have a late winter like we did this year, it keeps things from thawing out and trees and grass take longer greening up," said Mike Wotton, a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service.

"So conditions are still quite dry. Mix that with warm temperatures, low humidity and winds and it can create quite volatile conditions."

The rapid change from winter to summer-like conditions may cause a gradual increase in fire danger, long before summer arrives. Long-range forecasts for much of Canada suggest that wildland fire season may peak in July and August with warmer than normal temperatures forecast, and decreasing by September when temperatures return to seasonal norms.

The cause of wildfires is a 50/50 split between humans and natural causes light lightning. However, in the spring and early summer, the split is much more heavily tilted to human-caused fires.

"People are anxious to get out and enjoy the weather when it arrives. They're out having campfires and barbecues and this creates a risk of wildfires," said Wotton. "We're coming up to a long weekend here so we want to remind people to be safe when this weekend and take safety precautions."

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources is offering the following tips for anyone planning on having open fires this long weekend.

Prepare the site: 

  • Clear a space (about two metres wide) for the fire
  • Remove pine needles, grass, leaves and twigs
  • Scrape the area right down to the soil
  • Ensure you have a pail of water and a shovel to control the fire

Keep your fire small — it shouldn't be bigger than one metre high and one metre wide.

Stay nearby:

  • Never leave a campfire unattended
  • If you start a campfire, you are responsible for tending it, ensuring it is kept under control, and putting it out

Use the following steps to put your fire out:

  • Pour lots of water on the campfire
  • Stir the ashes with a stick
  • Pour more water over top of it

"With the current conditions, things are drying up really quickly but they aren't greening quite yet," said Wotton. "Fires can start and spread very quickly, so make sure you're taking care."

– Sudbury.com



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