A wildfire in Muskoka Lakes burned an acre of forest floor Saturday.
The fire started on a residential property on Summit Road at 2:41 p.m. Fire services arrived on the scene at around 2:47 and extinguished the fire by 4:33. No one was injured.
The property’s owner was burning yard waste inside burn barrels when the wind blew the fire into nearby foliage, according to fire officials.
The owner did not have a daytime burning permit, a problem which Muskoka Lakes Fire Chief Ryan Murrell says the department has repeatedly addressed.
“There’s been about four times that I’ve gotten called out to people’s houses, and luckily neighbours have called me first, to come talk to them about outdoor burning and have discussions about obtaining permits, so we have seen a lot of people that are daytime burning without permits,” says Murrell.
Residents are advised not to start fires when winds above 16 km/h, information Murrell says can be found on the permit along with other crucial fire safety information.
To obtain a burning permit, contact the Muskoka Lakes Fire Department by phone or email.