On May 4 Madawaska Valley Fire Department (MVFD) responded to a call about an unattended fire just off Old Barry’s Bay Road. Arriving at the scene, MVFD personnel could smell plastic burning and noticed blue smoke through the trees. An open air fire was discovered at 1:20 pm with no one attending to it. A person came out of a home and asked if they could help. They admitted that when they had lit the fire, they were burning flooring and wood.
There was no fire permit and the wind was blowing at 23km/hour. The person was charged.
Night time burning only
MV Fire Chief Corwin Quade reminds residents that night time burning only is allowed and permits are required for any fire over 2 feet by feet (60 cm by 60 cm). Only wood or brush can be burnt.
MVFD has noticed that people have been very careful over the past few years with open air burning and would like to thank everyone for this. MVFD has been to three very small wildfires this spring; two were caused by cigarettes and one was an unattended brush pile fire.
Spring Freshet update
Quade also told The Current that the Spring Freshet is over for the 2022. He added that Bark Lake is expected to reach summer levels by mid-May.