Southern Ontario under ‘extreme’ risk for wildfires

Firefighters are preaching caution in the midst of a dry spell that's lasted more than a week. With more on their message, here’s CTV London’s Bryan Bicknell.

If you’re planning any fires this weekend, whether in the backyard, at the campground, or at the farm, one area fire department advises you to keep a close eye on changing conditions.

Right now, the conditions are in place for fires to spread quickly, says Strathroy-Caradoc Fire Prevention Officer Jason Chabot.

“When there’s been no moisture. It’s very dry. The ground is hard,” he explained.

The words of caution come as wildfires in northern Ontario have forced evacuations of some communities near Timmins.

Chabot says it could easily happen in southern Ontario.

According to the Canadian Wildfire Information System, much of southern Ontario is currently in the “extreme” category for fire danger.

“With recent developments in the weather, and it being so dry, you’re probably going to be seeing a burn ban here very shortly,” said Chabot.

He says this means anyone planning a backyard or campfire should take caution and heed any local fire bans that may be in place.

“So, if you are having that fire, and it is allowed, you want to make sure you have a way to extinguish that fire with you. You want to make sure you’re always watching that fire. The fire is small and contained inside of a pit of some description. If you’re starting a fresh fire on a surface at a campsite, you want to make sure it’s scraped down to the basic, raw ground earth,” advised Chabot.

He says the same goes for controlled fires at farms. Just days ago, Strathroy-Caradoc fire crews found themselves fighting a field fire near Appin that spread out of control.

“A field fire will run hundreds of acres very quickly and gets out of control in seconds because the dryness allows that fire to continue to go. A lot of times, it is an uncontrolled burn. Someone has a recreational burn that hasn’t been properly extinguished, or they turn their back and the wind picks up ash and amber and moves it into the field,” Chabot cautioned.

While each municipality may have its own burn rules, in many areas only certain materials such as grass, leaves, wood, and brush can be burned without a permit.