The Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority has declared a fire ban for the MD of Bonnyville as of 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) has declared a fire ban for the MD of Bonnyville as of 10 a.m. Tuesday morning.
According to a press release from the BRFA, conditions are "extreme" and "worsening" because of the high winds.
BRFA is also reminding the public to be extremely careful and ensure smoking materials are extinguished before disposing of them. They are also reminding people to be cautious while welding or grinding at work sites or on farms.
Quads and other all-terrain vehicles in the forest are also a fire risk as the build-up of material on the exhaust can ignite.
The ban prohibits the lighting of outdoor fires, the sale and discharge of fireworks and the use of burning barrels and charcoal briquette BBQs. It also requires all outdoor fires presently burning to be extinguished and suspends all fire permits issued under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act or the MD of Bonnyville.
Fires contained in cooking and heating appliances are not prohibited, unless they are portable campfires or fire pits. Fires on industrial sites and facilities approved by the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority are still permitted, as well as fires inside an acceptable fire pit that meets the requirements of the MD's fire services bylaw.
Residents can be held financially responsible for the cost of responding to fires as a result of open burning during the fire ban.
