Madawaska Valley Fire Chief Corwin Quade has explained why, despite today’s snowfall, the Total Fire Ban and the Restricted Fire Zone (RFZ) remain in place; this means that you still may not light a fire. Quade said, “The majority of the people are great and obey the fire bans, and I would like to say thanks for everyone’s co-operation during any fire bans.”
The Fire Chief said he spoke at length with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) earlier this week about the RFZ and the municipal fire bans which will remain in place for the foreseeable future. The rationale is that this year’s freshet is very quick and short, combined with very low precipitation, winds that quickly dry everything, and vegetation that is slow to green up. Quade pointed out that adding the COVID-19 distancing restrictions to the mix is a significant element. He gives three examples by way of explanation:
- Municipal fire fighters are primarily volunteers in rural regions. If they are called out to a wildfire and they come into contact with someone who has the virus, the municipality’s fire department could be out of service for 14 days while they self-isolate. That puts the entire community at risk, with no one available to respond locally. The fire department would require mutual aid assistance from a neighbouring municipality which would make travel times for fire fighters and equipment longer. As a result a fire could become larger very quickly.
- A large fire somewhere in the province could require up to 200 fire fighters who would come from all over the province and interact with each other in close proximity. They would need to travel by air or ground to get to the scene and once there would need food, shelter and shower facilities. If one of them was found to have the virus while on the fire scene, all 200 people would need to be quarantined. There would be no one to replace them for at least 14 days, but due to travel restrictions Ontario could not get out-of-province or out-of-country assistance, with the potential to lose major infrastructure if this happened. Although MNRF has full fire crews across hte province ready to respond immediately, Ontario is vast and wild fire are extremely labour intensive. It took more than a month to extinguish the Parry Sound fire years ago, and more recently we have heard about the Slave Lake and Fort McMurray fires. This is why the fire service err on the side of caution and issue fire restrictions.
- A major evacuationin the province would require people to be housed for weeks at a time, causing close interaction among residents from different areas. This also increase the risk to everyone. That is why everyone works hard to prevent this possibility.
Decision to impose a fire ban
Quade reminds readers that in general April 1 to October 1 is considered wildfire season in Ontario. No daytime burning is permitted, except for heat or cooking, and most municipalities require you to have a fire permit if they allow burning. Residents should always check with the municipality.
He says during fire season, the MNRF reports to fire chiefs daily to determine:
- how easily a fire will start
- how deep a fire may burn
- how fast a fire may spread
- how much fuel is available for the fire to burn
- weather forecasts
The fire chiefs confer with neighbouring municipalities about implementing a fire ban, to make it easier for people to know the current level of fire ban. The dangerous times of year are early spring when everything is dry and not green yet, and mid-summer, if there has been little rain followed by dry weather. Note that during summer it is not only human who can start fires; lightning can also cause a wild fire – which may start days after the lightning strike.
Enforcement costs
Quade says a fire department is not an enforcement agency; its purpose is community safety and education. The last thing a fire chief wants is to issue a ticket with a bill for cost recovery. Just as a reminder, in Madawaska Valley if anyone is caught in violation of the Fire Ban or RFZ, penalties are severe:
- the fine starts at $615, up to $25,000 with 3 months in jail.
- Cost recovery is $485 per hour per truck; $30 per hour for each fire fighter; $100 administration fee; plus HST. A minimum of 2 hours’ costs is applied if you are charged.
- Cost recovery starts at $1,000 per hour if a plane is required to extinguish the fire.
So a little snowfall this morning does not mean you can get out your charcoal barbecue – Madawaska Valley remains under a Total Fire Ban and RFZ.
Quade,C. (2020,May8) Fire Ban and RTZ rationale [statement]