Burn Bans In Place For Wellington County
JOINT NEWS RELEASE WELLINGTON COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT
Wellington County, ON: Wellington County Fire Departments are declaring a partial burn ban starting Wednesday, June 7th, 2023 in the municipalities of Minto, Mapleton, Wellington North, Centre Wellington, Erin, Puslinch & GuelphEramosa. Due to the extreme dry conditions there will be no burning, other than recreational cooking fires, until the ban is lifted. This ban will remain in place until further notice or conditions improve.
Certain periods in the year create conditions that make even controlled burning dangerous, and this risk can quickly lead to fast and uncontrolled spread of fire. There are a number of conditions that warrant restrictions throughout the year. These circumstances include, but are not limited to: high winds, prolonged dry spells, early spring surface conditions, cut fields or wet conditions that do not allow our firefighting equipment to access remote or rural locations.
The fires prohibited during a partial fire ban applies to agricultural burns, brush pile burns, and any other burning unrelated to recreational cooking or camp fires. Fines are in place to enforce the ban when required.
The details for each municipality are as follows:
- Centre Wellington All B Class and C Class fires (large controlled burns and fires 2m x 2m) are banned.
- Erin Large Burn permits will no longer be issued, however residential permits for recreational camp & cooking fires are still valid.
- Guelph-Eramosa All burn permits issued for rural residences are suspended, however recreational camp & cooking fires are still permitted.
- Mapleton All fires that exceed a ground area of 2 meters by 2 meters are banned, however recreational camp & cooking fires are still permitted.
- Minto Open air burn permits will no longer be issued, and all current burn permits are no longer valid. Recreational camp and cooking fires are permitted.
- Puslinch Open air burn permits will no longer be issued, and all current burn permits are no longer valid. Recreational camp and cooking fires are permitted.
- Wellington North All burn permits issued for rural residences are suspended. Recreational camp and cooking fires are permitted
We thank residents for their patience and cooperation with this matter. Residents are encouraged to take every precaution to prevent brush & grass fires including:
• Clearing all combustible materials such as tree limbs, leaves and other dry materials away from buildings and propane tanks.
• Keep barbecue propane tanks at least three metres from buildings.
• Wood piles should be stored at a safe distance from your home.
• Trees should be pruned to create a good vertical separation from the ground.
• Clearing out any accumulated dry or dead debris from your property.
• Dispose of cigarettes safely. Carelessly discarded cigarettes continue to be a major cause of grass fires during these dry periods. Do not throw lit cigarettes out vehicle windows.
For questions regarding the ban or for more information, please contact your local fire department.
