Prince Edward County Fire and Rescue is reminding residents that a full burn ban remains in effect across the municipality.
A total burn ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including brush-fire, campfires, and burn barrels.
Fire Chief Scott Manlow takes a number of factors into consideration when determining the burn status in the County. That includes:
- The amount of dry grass and foliage
- Despite the recent rain, the risk of a ground-cover fire remains as the dead grass dries out quickly
- Ground conditions
- Soft and wet ground limits access for trucks to extinguish grass and brush fires
- Wind conditions
In addition, Fire Chief Manlow is also taking into consideration the state of emergency in Prince Edward County due to COVID-19. PEC Fire and Rescue wants to limit the number of preventable fire calls. Grass fires put an extra strain on firefighters who are also practising physical distancing and doing extra cleaning of equipment between each call.
Fire Chief Manlow is constantly evaluating the conditions, and the municipality will provide any updates should the burn ban status change.
For more information on burn permits or the fire ban, contact Fire Dispatch, Prince Edward County, at 613.476.2345 or fire@pecounty.on.ca.
