Nine days after issuing a county-wide fire ban, officials have called off the prohibition.
Originally fire officials had stated “a significant amount of rainfall” was required to lift the ban, but there was only several millimetres of precipitation in the time between July 20 and 29.
A press release received from the office of county fire coordinator Brad Patton stated, “If dry conditions become a concern in the future, another outdoor fire ban may be required.
“If you have any questions, please contact your local fire department.”
The ban, effective in all seven lower tier municipalities in Wellington County, had applied to all open air fires, defined as any outdoor fires including bonfires, campfires, burn barrels, outdoor fireplaces and chimneys or others. The only exceptions to the ban were cooking fires, from noon to midnight, only within approved campgrounds.
The month of July was very dry and hot and for much of the month provincial forest and wild-land fire indicators were all at extreme levels.
According to the Grand River Conservation Authority, the only significant rainfall all month was a storm that moved through the county on July 3, dropping about 15 to 25 millimetres of rain.
But other than that storm, most areas of the county have seen only a few millimetres of rain, whereas the average rainfall for July is about 80mm.
Fire officials are encouraging local residents to contact their municipality for more information not only about possible bans, but also the regulations for open air burning. Each township has its own open air burning bylaw including regulations for fires.
As Erin Fire Chief Dan Callaghan stated in a recent press release, “it is very important that [municipal burn bylaws] be read and complied with to prevent issues … [for]families and property and prevent charges being laid.”
