Ontario Provincial Police are reminding drivers not to throw cigarettes out of car windows after officers and firefighters responded to brush fires along Highway 417 on Thursday. Ottawa OPP Const. Michael Fathi said on X that there were three brush fires along the eastbound lanes of the Queensway between Terry Fox Drive and Eagleson Road. “While the cause remains unknown at this time, a reminder from OPP not to discard your cigarettes or other flammable objects out the window of your car,” Fathi said in a post on X. Ottawa Fire Services says brush and grass fires are not easy to deal with, and require significant number of resources, keeping crews tied up for extended periods of time. There was no indication from police of any traffic disruptions on the highway because of the fires. Fathi said everyone shares a responsibility to keep fires from starting. “Summer season is just starting and we have already seen several brush fires along the highway. It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep this from happening,” he said.
