Uxbridge Fire Chief Mike Macdonald says the township is prepared for any possibility that wildfires might erupt in Uxbridge.
Noting that there are four or fire wildfires burning in Kawartha Lakes, Macdonald said the fire department has a mutual aid agreement with all other fire departments in Durham Region and surrounding areas to respond to any such incidents.
He pointed out that Uxbridge was the first municipality in the region to declare a ban on outdoor fires. He also mentioned the Durham-wide restriction on some water uses, such as watering lawns and washing cars. Macdonald said recent drought conditions have reduced the water supply in the region, which could cause the fire department problems.
He said the public can help by not watering lawns and not throwing cigarette butts out of car windows, an action that can lead to grass fires. One of the fires in Kawartha Lakes began as a grass fire and grew to about 35 hectares.