Just in time for the Victoria Day long weekend, the Ontario government is allowing people to have outdoor fires in Ontario’s legislated fire region.
Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16th, the province is lifting the restricted fire zone designation that was put in place on April 2nd due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario’s legislated fire region is a series of 36 zones stretching from all of northern Ontario to portions of central Ontario. In the Kawarthas, the fire region includes Haliburton County and northern portions of Hastings County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, and Peterborough County.
The province will continue to assess forest fire hazard conditions and an restricted fire zone designation may be reinstated in higher risk areas if conditions deteriorate.
“Although we want people to enjoy themselves, lifting the restricted fire zone designation does not mean we can let our guard down when it comes to preventing human-caused forest fires,” says natural resources minister John Yakabuski.
The lifting of the restricted fire zone designation means that outdoor fires are allowed again, except in any municipalities where a local burn ban is in place.
To help deal with any forest fires during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has increased in base funding for emergency forest firefighting by $30.2 million.
The province is also ensuring safety measures are in place to protect Ontario’s fire rangers from COVID-19. Fire rangers will be required to follow the health and safety guidelines recommended by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, such as physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and daily self-assessments by staff.
The government has also implemented a more aggressive approach to fighting wildland fires this season with a focus on detecting fires early.
