An open-air fire ban issued this week for the city of Ottawa has been lifted after Wednesday’s rainfall.
Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) issued the ban on Tuesday, just days after firefighters responded to several grass and brush fires.
OFS public information officer Nick DeFazio said that between Friday and early Wednesday, firefighters responded to 24 brush fires and 21 burn complaints.
“Many of these started as controlled burns that quickly got out of control,” DeFazio said on social media.
“Brush fires are not quick calls. They are long, labour-intensive incidents that demand a significant number of resources and keep crews tied up for extended periods of time. While our Firefighters are highly trained in wildland firefighting, every preventable fire puts added strain on the system and reduces our ability to respond elsewhere.”
While the ban has been lifted, OFS is reminding residents to be cautious. Citizens must obtain an open-air fire permit from the City of Ottawa in order to legally have an open-air fire. Prior to setting an open-air fire, you must first contact the OFS Communications Centre at 613-580-2880. And always ensure you have plenty of water on hand to extinguish any fires you set.