BONNYVILLE - “The whole intent is to try and limit the risk of fire... just so we can pass this heat wave."
Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority (BRFA) Fire Chief Jay Melvin said the reason behind the latest fire restriction, which covers the MD of Bonnyville, Village of Pelican Narrows, Bonnyville Beach, and Village of Glendon, is to prevent fires from even starting.
Right now, he said "there are two big concerns if we were to get a fire; one, we get a fire and it’s extremely hot out, and two, do we have the ability to put that fire out with how hot it is."
“We have people working in 37-degree temperatures, that would be very unsafe and would increase the risks,” added Melvin.
On June 29, the MD and surrounding areas entered a fire restriction, which will remain in place until further notice.
A fire restriction is different than a ban, Melvin explained.
“Obviously a fire ban, we try to eliminate all of the risk, there’s absolutely no fires. Fire restrictions are based on data we’re looking at to determine how dry it is, what the moisture rate is, and a lot of stuff is provided to us by the Lac La Biche Forest Centre,” he detailed. “What makes it challenging for our area is half of the MD is in the Forest Protection Area and the other half isn’t. They’re governed by two different roles when it comes to fire bans and restrictions."
The northern portion of the MD that falls under the Forest Protection Area is governed by the province, while the other half is covered by the BRFA.
“Just bear with us. We’ve tried, especially with the BRFA, to accommodate as much as we can within this fire restriction by still allowing the backyard fire pits, so you can still go camping this weekend,” Melvin said.
Backyard fire pits, campfires in municipal and provincial campgrounds, and Off-Highway Vehicle usage is still permitted.
"What you can’t have, is if you’re in the Dupre area quadding and you want to sit down and have a wiener roast and build a small campfire, you can’t do that. That’s not permitted whatsoever,” stressed Melvin, adding the BRFA has also suspended all fire permits for the interim.
When it comes to fireworks, those rules depend on where you are.
For example, in the Forest Protection Area you have to first get permission from a Forest Officer in Lac La Biche, or a local representative.
If you're not in the Forest Protection area, the municipality makes the call.
Melvin said, "If you’re within the MD of Bonnyville, the Summer Village of Pelican Narrows, Bonnyville Beach, or the Village of Glendon, whatever those places allow you to have for fireworks, that is still current."
He noted the fire restriction doesn't impact towns or cities, so those within the City of Cold Lake or Town of Bonnyville are in the all-clear.
