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Fire ban in effect across all Dufferin County municipalities

July 13, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Pickford

Effective as of Wednesday (July 11), all open fires are prohibited anywhere in Dufferin County as dry conditions start to take its toll on land throughout the community.

In a press release sent out by the Dufferin County Fire Chiefs, which includes the Mulmur-Melancthon, Grand Valley, Orangeville, Shelburne, Rosemont District and Dundalk fire departments, it was repeatedly stated how important it was for residents to abide by the ban.

Open air fires are defined as any fire outside of a building and includes bonfires, campfires, burn barrels, outdoor fireplaces.chiminea or any other fires set in open air. The ban does not affect the use of appliances such as barbecues, fireplaces or fire pits fueled by natural gas, propane, charcoal or briquettes.

The ban has been imposed due to the extreme dryness of all vegetation in the area. Provincial forest and wild-land fire indicators are all at extreme levels. The ban will remain in place until further notice.

With the pending grain harvest, farmers are encouraged to exercise extreme caution with combining, as field fires can quickly overtake equipment and neighbouring crops. These fires can also spread quickly to adjacent woodlands.

If you discover an open fire, Dufferin’s fire departments are saying it is “very important” that you report them immediately to 911.

“Do not delay reporting while attempting to control or extinguish the fire,” the report reads.

All burn permits in these municipalities are now suspended. No burn permits will be issues until the ban is lifted.

If you have any questions, please call the Orangeville Fire Department at 519-941-3083.

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