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According to the most recent data from Natural Resources Canada, the province of Manitoba is at high risk of experiencing wildfires due to recent dry spring weather.
As of Monday, the wildfire risk covers most of southern Manitoba, from Saskatchewan to Lake of the Woods, Global News reported.
Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler has warned citizens to take precautions in order to protect their properties.
“I suspect if we had rain right now we’d have very little runoff because the ground would just soak it up. I think we should be very concerned about it,” Schuler said. “We would encourage people to mow their lawns, get rid of any disburse around dead shrubs that kind of stuff that could be incendiary.”
Schuler added that homeowners should take a look around their yards and see if there’s anything combustible lying around that needs to be cleaned. He also advised that homeowners should have a safety box containing their most important belongings, such as photos, documents, etc.
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service deputy chief of support service Tom Wallace urged homeowners to be more responsible.
“Our position [at present] is that any burning right now outside of BBQs or natural gas appliances is irresponsible,” he said.
Southern Manitoba has burning restrictions from April 1 to November 15 each year, preventing residents from starting open fires during the period.
