CALEB NICKERSON
PONTIAC April 4, 2021
With a recent wave of dry weather, Pontiac’s fire departments are warning residents to be careful when burning brush or other material.
Shawville-Clarendon Fire Chief Lee Laframboise said that . . .
a grass fire that he and his crews responded to along Rte. 303 South in Stark’s Corners on April 4 was a perfect example of why people should be vigilant. He responded with 10 men and three trucks and took several hours putting out the fire.
“It’s just the wind, people can burn with a permit in April, but they’ve just got to watch the wind, you know, just look at the forecast,” he said. “If you have wind come, you’re screwed, especially if you have an open field next to where you’re burning.”
He said he regularly consults the website of the provincial forest fire fighting service (sopfeu.qc.ca) to get updates on conditions. SOPFEU also has an app that residents can download to check for themselves. This past week, the Pontiac rose to the red or highest risk category.
Laframboise said that many municipalities ban burning outright, and but he issues free permits during certain portions of the year to allow residents to burn in screened-in appliances.
He said even with those precautions, people are still responsible if their fire gets out of hand, and could be on the hook for a fine or covering the department’s expenses.
“It adds up to $1,000 in the blink of an eye,” he said.
