Wildfire season has arrived, and firefighters across Muskoka are raising awareness about fire safety.
Kyle Steele, Gravenhurst’s fire prevention officer, said when doing spring cleaning around your home, including removing debris that has fallen over the winter, it’s best to take it to the dump rather than stockpiling yard waste.
“The biggest tip I can give to residents this wildfire season is just always being prepared,” he said. “Getting up on the roof, taking leaves and pine needles off your roof of your house or your sheds, just taking (and getting rid of) any combustibles that have fallen over the winter.”
He said that as the wildfire season progresses, activity could be higher than in other years if the weather is dry and hot, but it will ultimately depend on weather conditions. He added that last year, Gravenhurst saw a total of 5.33 hectares, about 13 acres, affected by wildfires.
“Last year was very dry and very hot; we actually had a fire ban for most of the month of August, as with the higher temperatures and the prolonged period of the rain, the ground got very, very dry,” he said.
He said when enjoying a bonfire or cooking with a barbecue, always have a water source close by, as last year most of the causes of wildfires were due to “human error.”
“Last season, most of our (fire calls), besides a couple of lightning strikes that we confirmed,… were human error. A lot of people had bonfires and either walked away or didn’t supervise them constantly,” said Steele.
He also advises checking the outdoor burning restrictions in each municipality, as rules and regulations vary across the region.
