Burn Bans In Place As Townships Respond To (MNR) Restrictions

Jeff Green | Jun 28, 2023

The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource and Forestry (MNRF) has been dealing with a series of unprecedented fires across the province, and as of early June, they have put on a total fire ban throughout much of the province, with the exception of some communities in populated areas such as Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston and Southwestern Ontario.

The ban uses fire zone boundaries which do not necessarily follow county and township boundaries. The ban applies in North Frontenac, Addington Highlands and Central Frontenac, but only part of South Frontenac, the former Bedford Township. It also does not extend to Maberly or Westport.

Local Frontenac Townships have taken slightly different tacks in responding to the ban.

A.J. Wright, the fire prevention officer in South Frontenac said that when considering whether an MNRF or local rules apply, the most restrictive is the one that holds sway.

Since the MNRF ban came into place, North Frontenac and Addington Highlands have both maintained total fire bans for most of the month, making the local and provincial rules identical, in order to avoid confusion.

In Central Frontenac, a total fire ban was put in place last Friday (June 23). Central Frontenac Fire Chief Chris McDonough said that there have been weekly briefings with the MNRF, and at the briefing during the week of June 19, he learned that the best thing for Central Frontenac to do was to put a fire ban in place in order to limit any confusion as the entire township is within the MNRF ban zone.

McDonough also determined that Canada Day Fireworks in Sharbot Lake can go ahead even though the fire ban is in place.

This decision was based on correspondence from the MNRF Fire office in Haliburton.

"Restricted Fire Zones (RFZ) do NOT restrict the use of fireworks, however individuals lighting fireworks that ignite a forest fire are liable for costs associated with the suppression of the fire," said an email from the ministry. "If someone chooses to go forward with the fireworks, they must ensure any residue and embers are fully extinguished. Avoiding directing fireworks towards forested areas or lighting them in an area with flammable material that may carry the fire to a forested area will reduce the chances of starting a forest fire."

The ministry also explained the reasoning behind the provincial ban.

"As our Fire Staff are a provincial resource and many are deployed further north, this leaves some areas of the province with reduced staff to respond to wildfire incidents – and this is one of the main intents of the RFZ, to help alleviate potential wildfires across the province

In South Frontenac, where the MNRF ban only applies in the northeast end, the township has nonetheless put on a Level 1 Fire ban, which restricts open air burning but permits camp fires, but only in those parts of the township where the MNRF ban is not in place.

The Canada Day fireworks display in Sydenham will go ahead under the watchful eye of the fire department, having been approved by the township.

“We intend to keep our Level 1 ban in place, even as conditions improve, as long as the province keeps the provincial ban,” said Wright, “in order to make things more consistent for everyone in the township. If the provincial ban is lifted, we will reconsider.”

He added that fire department staff have been checking the provincial map several times a day for updates.

“The MNRF has concerns related to staffing in addition to fire risk in a certain location. Their fire crews have been working non-stop, both in Ontario and in Quebec, and if there is a new fire in Ontario, they will have more trouble responding than normal, so keeping a ban on is one way to mitigate that fire risk.”

The Ontario map can be found online through a Google search “Ontario Forest Fire Info Map”.

(Editor's note – this article was prepared on Tuesday, June 27 at 1pm and reflects the fire ban status at that time.)