By Trevor Greenway
Is there a fire ban in the Gatineau Hills?
That depends on where you live.
Despite the lack of restrictions from Wildfire Prevention and Suppression in Quebec (SOPFEU) in La Pêche, Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux confirmed to the Low Down on Aug. 11 that open fires are currently banned in the municipality.
“Right now, our index is at ‘tres élevé,’ so very high,” said Lamoureux. So, definitely no open fires allowed.”
Lamoureux explained that while the SOPFEU website shows no restrictions for La Pêche, the municipality has its own by-law that bans open fires when the fire danger index level reaches “high” or greater.
According to the bylaw, open fires are also banned in La Pêche when winds exceed 20 km/h.
“Only fires made in an installation equipped with a spark arrestor are permitted when the flammability index reaches the high or very high rating,” reads the bylaw. A spark arrestor is any device which prevents the emission of flammable debris from combustion sources, such as internal combustion engines, fireplaces, and wood-burning stoves.
All fires in La Pêche are banned when the SOPFEU levels reach “extreme.”
Open fires are also banned on National Capital Commission (NCC) property, including throughout Gatineau Park. According to the NCC, it places a ban on open fires, including campfires and charcoal barbecues, when the index level reaches “very high” or “extremely high.”
The current SOPFEU index for Chelsea is set at “very high.”
However, throughout the municipality of Chelsa, open fires are still permitted, as its bylaw states that open fires are banned only when the index level reaches “extreme.”
Despite the lack of a full fire ban in Chelsea, SOPFEU still has recommendations for homeowners when they are having open fires in their backyards.
“There is currently no restriction, like a provincial-wide restriction, so whenever people are calling, we’re telling them that the fire danger index is very high, to extreme,” said SOPFEU spokesperson Melanie Morin. “We’re encouraging everyone to find out what their municipal bylaws are.”
Morin explained that each index level comes with a set of recommendations and considerations for homeowners when having open fires.
“If the fire danger is low, that means that there is a very low risk of a spark making it to the forest, which would cause a wildfire. At the other end of that scale is very high to extreme, and there is a very, very high likelihood that if a spark were to make it to the forest, that it would cause a wildfire,” she added.
When the fire danger index is very high to extreme, SOPFEU recommends not having open fires and using propane fire pits instead. SOPFEU also warns against using fireworks or smoking in forests. “Whenever those fire dangers are present, we ask people to abstain from the use of fire if it’s possible, follow any and all rule regulations that are in place – use a propane fire pit, don’t use an open-air fire,” she said. “Don’t use anything that will cause sparks, such as fireworks. If you’re out and about in the forest, then abstain from smoking and that sort of thing.”
Kazabazua firefighter Melanie Irwin said that while there may be no official fire ban in the municipality, she urges homeowners against having open fires when the levels are “high” or greater.
“I believe that they do have a fire ban in Bristol and places like that, but I haven’t seen anything like for Kaz, although I think that there should be, because it’s extremely dry out there – even the weeds are dying,” Irwin told the Low Down.
“We’ve been super lucky – we haven’t had [any wildfires] and I think that people are getting smarter over the last few years because of the amount of fires that have been burning out of control,” she added. “So I think that people are being more careful.”
Despite this recent prudence, Irwin said she personally wouldn’t risk having an open fire.
“I don’t have the authority to say yes or no, but common sense would say no.”
There are currently six active fires burning across the province, according to SOPFEU. Of the 194 wildfires, 176 of them – or over 90 per cent – have been ignited by humans. Nine other fires were caused by lightning.
Locally, there were two wildfires burning in La Pêche over the past week, one near Lac Notre Dame this weekend and another near Lac Bernard. Both have been extinguished.
There are currently three active fires in the Outaouais.
Check with your municipality on the status of its fire danger index or visit the SOPFEU website at www.sopfeu.qc.ca.
