The warm spring temperatures have brought with them the return of burning restrictions.
Jim Rudderham, Supervisor of Fire Management with the Department of Natural Resources says it only takes a few days of warmer weather to increase the chance of fire substantially.
“Those grasses and those fine fuels in the woods can dry out very quickly and the windy cool days dries them right off. Fires can start very quickly and spread.”
He says the ground may look wet but that doesn’t mean it won’t catch fire.
“It can still be squishy but the fuels on top of the ground can still burn very quickly. That’s why we set the restrictions, because we know our business and we know how quick this stuff can happen.”
Several people on the South Shore learned that lesson the hard way this week as firefighters were called to battle grass fires.
Grass fires are bad for natural resources…
they kill important habitat for birds and small animals. pic.twitter.com/Tb5YZymrWl— Unama’ki Institute (@UINR) April 12, 2017
Rudderham says it’s important to check the burn restrictions website every day to protect your property and your life.
Daily restrictions can be found at burnsafe.ca