A total fire ban will remain in place across the Pontiac this weekend and into next week despite SOPFEU’s decision on Friday to lift its ban on open-air fires.
In an update published Friday afternoon (June 5), Quebec’s forest fire fighting agency said it would be lifting its ban as of 6 p.m.
While SOPFEU’s fire danger map shows the Outaouais is still in an extreme high risk zone on Friday, this risk drops to low on Saturday and Sunday.
“However, an increase in fire danger index is expected at the beginning of next week. If the announced drought conditions remain, a new ban on open-air fires could be ordered,” the decision from Quebec’s Ministry of Public Security states.
Despite this change, the fire ban on all outdoor fires implemented by MRC Pontiac municipalities on Thursday will remain in force until at least Wednesday of next week. Municipalities are the ultimate authority on fire bans, and their decisions overrule those made by SOPFEU.
Since last year, all MRC Pontiac fire chiefs have been working together to decide when to implement a fire ban, and when to lift it.
“We made that decision because one town would have a fire ban and the next one wouldn’t have a fire ban, so we said when we put it on we would put it on everywhere,” explained Shawville-Clarendon chief Lee Laframboise.
“We also agreed that if we put a fire ban on, we’re leaving it on for a week.”
On Thursday (June 4), the chiefs decided to put in place a complete fire ban across the Pontiac.
MRC Pontiac public security manager Julien Gagnon said while fire ban decisions are made by the chiefs, the MRC Pontiac’s website and Facebook page are the best places to stay up to date on fire bans across the county.
He also noted that SOPFEU’s decisions around whether or not to put a ban on open-air fires will never have an impact on what’s allowed in MRC Pontiac.
“What people need to know is that when the SOPFEU puts a ban on, it doesn’t change anything in the MRC, because all our bylaws already ban open fires from Apr. 1 to Nov. 15 of each year,” he said, describing what’s allowed when there is no fire ban in place.
“In the summer, the only things that are actually allowed in our bylaw are the spark arrester-mounted firepits that have a screen on them, or a chimney that has a screen in it.”
