With low precipitation levels and warmer temperatures for this time of year, Morden Fire and Rescue Chief Andy Thiessen has a reminder for those cleaning up yards and fields a bit earlier this spring.
"We're getting ourselves into the spring season and with that comes grass fires and that type of thing. We can eliminate a lot of that if we are a little proactive in preparing ourselves before we light the match. It's not saying that we can't clean up the yard site or the grass area, but there are some precautions we can take."
The first thing would be to get a No Cost Burn Permit. It doesn't cost anything, but it does let MFR know what fires are burning to be aware of in case help is needed or if the fire is reported by someone other than the landowner.
"The things that you can do to prevent things from getting away on you is make a fire guard if you're able to do that, around the field. Also, if you're burning brush and stuff in a farmyard or that type of thing, making sure that the area around it is cut short as the grass is dry, it'll take off in a hurry. Wind is a big thing. You don't want to light anything on a windy day. It creates its own wind as it goes along, but if you can eliminate the natural wind that parts perfect."
Thiessen added, anyone concerned about a fire they see driving by a field or yard should stop in at the yard to make sure it is in fact out of control. Each time the department receives a call to respond to a fire, there is a minimum cost of $3500 to the taxpayer for the service, so it is best to be proactive to avoid any unnecessary calls.
When asked if the department has responded to any field fires this year, Thiessen responded, "So far, we have not. I was actually expecting some this weekend but that didn't happen, which is awesome. I know there were some control burns going on. those people let us know that they were actually doing a control burn which helps us a lot. If they don't call it in, then we know that someone driving by has called and we will not respond. The only time we respond is if the landowner or the occupant has called us and asked us for a burn permit, and something has gone wrong. Then we respond."
Thiessen noted the earlier the call the better as it does take some time to respond.
"With the event of someone starting a fire and trying to put it out themselves, the first thing they need to do is call for help get us rolling because it does take us time to get to wherever that instance is. If you happen to have caught in yourself on fire, don't run. I know it's not human nature to do that, but stop what you're doing, roll around the ground, get as much dirt and dust on yourself as possible, and that'll actually put the fire out. And don't stop rolling until you feel very comfortable that everything is taken care of."
Bookmark this page for a link to the Burn Ban section of the Morden Fire and Rescue website.