Fire season officially starts

There might still be lots of snow on the ground, but the fire season has officially begun.

Fire information officer Chris Marchand says it doesn’t take long for the situation to change.

“Despite the snow on the ground at this moment, conditions will change quite quickly over the next few weeks,” says Marchand.

“Outdoor burning regulations, which determine the time of day you can burn debris, are now in effect for the fire season.”

Marchand adds that the amount of snow on the ground depends on where you live.

“In terms of snow coverage across the northwest region, it is quite variable from location to location, which means that some areas are going to become snow-free before others and start to show a fire hazard. We do see lower amounts of snowpack along the southern sectors, along the Ontario/Minnesota border.”

The province says it has added an additional 68 permanent staff and increased compensation for critical staff including wildland firefighters, pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers