BONNYVILLE – Today, March 1, officially marks the start of wildfire season in Alberta, and the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) is encouraging residents to think before lighting a flame.
From now until Oct. 31, anyone wishing to conduct any burning within the MD of Bonnyville or the Alberta Forest Protection Area (located just north of Cold Lake) is required to have a fire permit.
“That’s just so there’s some quality control, making sure that they're done the right way and they aren’t jeopardizing either individual or neighbourhood safety,” explained Dan Heney, regional deputy fire chief for the BRFA.
The municipality's fire guardian program has individuals available throughout fire permit season to go out to a property to ensure any burn sites are safe.
“Generally, we inspect sites where rural residents, people living on farms or an acreage, can burn a fire in a safe manner,” explained fire guardian Kim Kissel. “That way it doesn’t get out of control and require any other services from the fire department. We set the conditions in place under which burns can be performed.”
Kissel explained they take a number of factors into consideration before giving landowners the green light.
“Wind will cause a fire to spread much more rapidly, and drier conditions would cause a fire to burn more rapidly,” he said.
Depending on the material you’re burning, different regulations may apply. One example Heney gave was an old house.
“We’re not going to let them do that unless they pull out everything that’s not wood, and what’s leftover can’t be treated wood because those are toxic.”
While campfires don’t require a visit from a fire guardian, Kissel has answered some calls to ensure they’re done properly.
“As long as the recreational fire is being burned in a safe manner and the area surrounding the pit is safe, there’s no permit required,” Kissel noted. “It’s responsible on their part, and it would probably be a good thing to go out to take a look to make sure they’re safe.”
Since the beginning of March generally means warmer temperatures, the snow begins to melt and there’s more wind. Contrary to what some may think, according to Heney the ground is actually drier during this time. It hasn't thawed enough yet to absorb the moisture from the melting snow.
“There’s a much greater chance of a fire in a brush pile getting away from somebody in those periods of time.”
He added, “All we need is a couple of days of wind to really start to dry out vegetation that’s sticking out above the ground, and we can easily have a running grass fire or a forest fire take off on us.”
For more information on burn permits, or to get in touch with the fire guardian for your area, visit the MD of Bonnyville's website.
Robynne Henry, Bonnyville Nouvelle
