Dry conditions prompt fire bans

A Westman fire chief says the fire ban in his and several other municipalities is important to prevent blazes from getting out of control.

Municipalities across western Manitoba were under burn bans and fire restrictions on Thursday due to dry conditions. Wind gusts were up to 86 kilometres an hour in Brandon on Thursday, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Whitehead Fire Department Chief Kelly Crossen described conditions on Thursday as “quite critical.”

“Currently the conditions are so dry, although we’re getting a little sprinkle, but they’ve been just tinder dry, and even a spark from an ATV can ignite the long grass if somebody’s travelling through,” Crossen said.

The City of Brandon and the towns of Carberry, Melita, Minnedosa and Neepawa were all under fire bans or restrictions, according to a provincial government map, along with the rural municipalities of Argyle, Brenda-Waskada, Cartwright-Roblin, Cornwallis, Ellice-Archie, Elton, Gelenella-Landowne, Glenboro-South Cypress, Lorne, McCreary, Minto-Odanah, Norfolk-Treherne, North Cypress-Langford, Oakview, Pipestone, Prairie Lakes, Prairie View, Rosedale, Rossburn, Victoria and Whitehead.

Some municipalities were under fire bans and have barred ATV travel, while others are simply requiring permits.

Crossen said many people in rural areas will burn their garbage in burn barrels, which can get out of control and turn into wild or grass fires.

“Burn bans help protect — make people aware that things are critical and conditions are critical — and stop those kinds of fires.”

Two weeks ago, fire crews from several departments, including Whitehead’s, responded to two separate grass fires in the RM of Cornwallis and Riverdale Municipality.

The Cornwallis fire, which injured three people, started after someone was burning cardboard and it got out of control. The Riverdale fire was larger and lasted longer, but there were no injuries.

Crossen said fires put people’s lives and homes at risk.

For a fire ban to be lifted in his municipality, there would need to be a “good rain,” he said, estimating that might happen by early next week because of precipitation in the forecast.

Crossen said the community has been a big help in containing fires, including volunteer firefighters, farmers, businesses and people from Hutterite colonies.

“Communities really pull together and try to mitigate these situations as quickly as possible without taxing everybody,” he said.

“Out in the rural (areas), we’re not paid to do these jobs. We do it because we kind of step up to the plate to help with the community,” Crossen said.

More information on fire bans and restrictions for individual municipalities can be found on their websites.

» alambert@brandonsun.com