Effective April 9, the County of Vermilion River implemented a partial fire ban due to dry conditions throughout the county.
Only recreational and incinerator fires are permitted. These recreational and incinerator fires must be contained, supervised, and fully extinguished upon completion. All other fires are banned and all previously issued permits are cancelled for the duration of the fire ban. These conditions of fire permits and fire bands must be followed, upon failure to do so will result in a minimum penalty of $500.
The County of Vermilion asks residents to ensure all previous permitted fires are completely extinguished and all smoking material is out or disposed of in a burn proof container rather than tossing onto the ground or out of a vehicle window.
“The main underlying factor to all of these wildfires has been the extremely dry conditions across the Province. Several factors are reviewed prior to making decisions to implement a fire ban, but the bottom line is that the lack of precipitation over several years, mixed with heavy fire loads from deadfall and overgrowth, and unseasonal predicted weather, have made an ideal environment for severe wildfires,” stated Kirk Hughes, Director of Protective Services.
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