Staff
With no fire activity going on in Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources today deployed 74 personnel to British Columbia to assist with the fire situation there.
A total of 40 FireRangers (in two 20-person crew configurations), plus a fire behaviour analyst, were dispatched from the West Fire Region, joining 20 FireRangers and three support personnel from the East Fire Region.
Local MNR fire operations supervisor Marnie Brown said one four-person crew, led by Colin Wood, left from here this morning.
She added they could be gone for well over two weeks.
“It really depends on the situation out there, but it sounds like things are really picking up in B.C.,” said Brown.
“Our guidelines indicate they can be gone for up to 14 days on fire assignment, plus travel at each end . . . it could be up to 19 days when you factor in travel and what-not,” she noted.
Last year, some local FireRanger crews went to northern Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan to assist in firefighting efforts there.
Over the past decade, they have gone everywhere from Quebec, Alberta, and B.C. to Montana, Oregon, and Washington state in the U.S.
Since the fire season officially began April 1, the region has seen a total of 62 fires, consuming just 26.9 ha.
No new fires were reported in the West Fire Region yesterday and, in fact, there currently are no active fires anywhere in Ontario.
“The fire hazard is ‘low’ and we don’t have any indication of long-term drying trends anytime in the near future,” noted Brown.
Nonetheless, residents doing spring clean-up at their rural homes and cottages who may be burning brush piles and grass, or igniting woody debris in burning barrels, do pose a risk of spreading into wildfires if not properly managed.
The public is required to follow safe burning guidelines as set out under the Forest Fires Prevention Act.
Those living within a municipality should contact their local municipal office or fire department before burning.
For more info on “FireSmart” safe burning practices, visit www.ontario.ca/fireprevention
