Fire bans in place for parts of York Region

Fire burns in a pit in a file photo.

Several communities within York Region are now under a fire ban as hot and dry conditions continue to cause problems for those fighting forest fires in Ontario and Quebec.

Fire bans are in place for Aurora and Newmarket, along with the townships of King and Georgina Bluffs.

"Due to current weather patterns and no significant rain in the foreseeable future, we need to take steps to avoid large fires," said Ian Laing, Central York Fire Services (CYFS) fire chief and the York Region fire coordinator.

"Every fire decreases our air quality. By banning recreational fires, we're doing what we can to protect those in our community and limit contributing to the poor air quality."

During the fire bans, CYFS asks residents to be extra cautious with anything that could start a fire, such as citronella candles on the deck, propane or gas equipment carefully and cigarette disposal.

Because of the poor air quality due to the surrounding fires, the province recommends people begin reducing or rescheduling outdoor activities if they experience symptoms like coughing and throat irritations.

Fire chiefs from across York Region are assessing the situation, and more fire bans are expected to be implemented.