Madawaska Valley Fire Chief Corwin Quade has good news for most MV residents and bad news for one person. Quade told The Current that as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday May 16, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry is lifting the Restricted Fire Zone (RFZ), leaving the Township of Madawaska Valley under a Level 1 Fire Ban.
Level 1 Fire Ban as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday May 16
- Campfires in a fire pit are allowed
- Charcoal barbecues may be used as well as propane barbecues
- Fireworks are allowed
- No daytime burning (April 1 to October 31)
- No new burn permits will be issued (any existing permits remain suspended)
- No brush or grass may be burned. Note that the township is providing free brush drop-off sites at both Bark Lake and Combermere waste sites. Please remember to observe social distancing at the waste sites.
Quade thanked all the people for obeying the ban and observing the RFZ.
Kuiack Lake brush fire costs resident dearly
On May 14 at 3:36P p.m. the Madawaska Valley Fire Department was dispatched to Kuiack Lake Road for a brush fire. A total of 7 trucks and 14 fire fighters from both stations responded to the call. While fire fighters were en route, the dispatch was updated to state that the fire was in the bush, now burning across the lawn and heading towards cottages.
Arriving at the scene the fire fighter found the driveway blocked by a tree that was on a power line and a parked vehicle. Fire fighters were directed to another way into the property. Upon arrival the fire was still burning in three areas and the land owner was attempting to contain it with a rake. The fire at one point climbed up 10 feet in the pine and spruce trees before being extinguished. It took the Fire Department 25 minutes to contain and extinguish the brush fire which came within 10 feet of one cottage. Quade described the situation as a near miss, saying: “We were fortunate that the wind was blowing away from the cottage; if it had not been we would have [had] a large structure fire on our hands. This fire burnt three-quarters of an acre. People have got to be more be careful; one of these times someone is going to get hurt.’
The fire was caused by a brush pile being burnt and the person who started the fire has been charged. Quade explained that it does not matter whether a fire occurs in an RFZ, during any kind of fire ban or even when there are no such restrictions in effect, the person who caused the fire can be sent a bill for extinguishing it. The total cost for this incident would be $9,238.03.
Dangerous incidents that don’t fool the Fire Department
Quade outlined some of the dangerous things people have done to hide evidence of fires before he has arrived to investigate them during the course of the ban this spring:
- They parked vehicles in a circle around a fire, thinking the Fire Chief would not be able to see it. Quade points out, “Smoke rises, I could see that.”
- They have covered a fire in the middle of a grassy back yard with a layer of sand and claimed to have never had a fire. The Fire Chief says, “I have a thermal imaging camera. I can read the temperature of the area in question. It changes colour showing me the area is hot.”
- Some people have thrown fresh brush on top to try to hide a fire and then said, “See the fresh brush? We weren’t burning anything.”Quade said while he was talking to the people, the fire flared up.
- They said they didn’t know how a camp fire started, but they guessed it must have been caused by a lightning strike. This happened when there had not been a storm yet this season.
- One night a resident had lit a large fire in a fire bowl three feet inside their garage. During a fire ban, an open flame is still illegal, not to mention that this situation is extremely dangerous as embers and sparks could get into their building and smolder for hours. When they flare up, a structure fire is the result.
Improperly extinguishing campfires, setting off fire works, throwing away a lit cigarette or even dumping ashes that flare up and start a fire can be costly. Quade said, “Once again it is extremely dry out there. Ninety-five percent of people listen and they are great. It is the five percent that make it difficult and ruin everyone’s fun. If you see someone having a fire during the ban, call 911 and the Fire Department will be dispatched.”
Quade,C. Madawaska Valley Fire Department(2020,May15) Kuiack Lake brush fire [media release]
Photos Madawaska Valley Fire Department