Open Air Fire Ban issued for Ottawa as firefighters battle brush fires
An open air fire ban has been issued for the city of Ottawa due to the hot and dry weather.
The Ottawa Fire Service issued the fire ban Wednesday afternoon as firefighters responded to four wildfires in the city.
Four acres of a cornfield were burned in a fire in a field on Shea Road, between Brownlee Road and Garvin Road, near Richmond just after 1 p.m.
Ottawa fire says firefighters stopped the fire in the cornfield before it reached another 10 foot pile of brush, "that would have caused major problems."
Firefighters also responded to a brush fire on Autumnwood Street just after 2 p.m.
Firefighters battled two more grass fires in the south end on Wednesday. Officials say one was in the area of Farriers Lane and Trappers Road and the other at Fox Hollow Crescent and Hunters Point Crescent.
"The first thing I saw was flames,” said Claudette Larocque, describing one of the brush fires just steps away from her home near Fox Hollow Crescent. "We’ve never seen that before back there and it was close so my first instinct was to call 911."
The sweltering heat an additional challenge for Ottawa Fire.
"We had a rehab set up because the crews were getting hot very quick,” District Chief Peter Lamar. "We sent one firefighter to the hospital via ambulance. He suffered a heat stressed injury."
Ottawa has seen a stretch of hot, sunny weather and there hasn’t been any rain in the last seven days. Rain isn’t forecast until at least Sunday.
“We’re asking the public to be vigilant keep an eye out and be very careful,” said Lamar.
All open air fires are prohibited during a ban, including properties that have an Open Air Fire Permit. This ban applies to agricultural burns, brush pile burns, as well as campfires and wood burning outdoor fireplaces. Devices which do not require a permit such as propane, ethanol, and natural gas outdoor fireplaces and barbecues are not included in the ban.
The ban will be in effect until further notice.
The Ottawa Fire Service offers the following tips to reduce the risk of a brush fire around your home:
- Clear 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 a safe distance from your home
- Trees should be pruned to create a good vertical separation from the ground
- Clear out any accumulated dry or dead debris from your property
Officials also ask people to be careful when butting out a cigarette.
"Carelessly discarded cigarettes continue to be a major cause of grass fires during these dry periods," Ottawa Fire Service said. "Do not throw lit cigarettes out vehicle windows."
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Jackie Perez
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.