‘We can’t get complacent:’ Eastern Ontario fire crews urge caution amid hot, dry weather

Fire officials says the hot and dry conditions are creating an extreme wildfire risk in regions across eastern Ontario. CTV’s Austin Lee reports.

As fire crews continues to battle flames tearing through parts of Ontario’s cottage country, officials in and around Ottawa are urging residents to be extra cautious.

“Everybody needs to take these extreme heat conditions very seriously. We can’t get complacent. We need to be very careful,” said Ottawa Fire Chief Paul Hutt.

“We can’t have accidental fires, so I need everybody to be very diligent in making sure they’re looking after their surroundings, making sure they’re not causing any source of ignition that could potentially spark a grass fire or a bush fire.”

Ottawa, much of eastern Ontario and parts of western Quebec were under ‘extreme fire danger’ on Tuesday, according to Natural Resources Canada.

The level was lowered to low or moderate on Wednesday.

Burn bans remain in place across the region, however, and fire officials say the risk extends beyond simply starting a campfire.

“We also want [people] to take extreme caution with some of the exercises that they’re doing outside with any sources of heat or ignition,” said Justin Hemsley, Deputy Fire Chief with the Mississippi Mills Fire Department.

“Cigarette butts can be a huge risk factor, small engines, hot engines, lawnmowers, those kinds of things can easily spark a fire when things are this dry.”

In Ottawa, a fire ban has been in place since last week.

Hutt says most people are following the rules, but not everyone.

“We have had 26 complaints for burn complaints since the fire ban. I consider that quite large. We shouldn’t have any,” he said.

“We are taking a zero approach so if there are issues and people are still burning while we’re in this fire ban, we will be taking the matters very, very seriously and applying the bylaw accordingly.”

If things take a turn for the worse and Ottawa fire crews are called out to battle a wildfire, Hutt says his team is ready.

Since amalgamation, Ottawa Fire Services is responsible for a large area, roughly 80 per cent of which is rural land.

The fire service currently has five specialized brush trucks, designed specifically for fighting wildfires, in its fleet.

“We can’t get complacent ourselves so, in the rural areas, we’re constantly checking water levels, we’re making sure our water fill sites are available,” said Hutt.

“In the event that there is a fire, if we have to come up with alternative plans or if we have to shuttle water in, we pre-plan these scenarios based on weather conditions and I feel we are very equipped to handle situations if they arise.”

As for when the burn ban could be lifted, that may take some time.

Temperatures will have to cool off and the region will need to see significant rain, enough to saturate the soil, for wildfire risks to subside.

“If it’s just surface rain or if it’s just a small shower, it’s not going to be enough because the surface is just going to dry up again and we’re just going to be left with all of this dryness again,” said Hutt.

“People are going to have to be very patient, and even though we have a little bit of rain in the forecast, the fire ban still may remain on.”

In the meantime, homeowners can take a few steps to prevent fire damage around their property.

Hutt recommends clearing any vegetation and debris piled up near any structures, cleaning gutters of leaves, pine needles and other flammable material, and if you keep firewood, ensure it is stored at least ten to 30 metres away from your home.

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