Forest fire index jumps to high and very high on P.E.I.

Warm weather, a lack of rain and strong winds have dried out the P.E.I. landscape, pushing the forest fire index to very high in much of the province.

This is a time when folks should be extra careful when doing any burning, saidTyne ValleyFire Department Chief William Bishop.

"It doesn't take much to start a fire [when] everything's so combustible," said Bishop.

Green lawns can be deceiving, he said, because they give the impression that the ground is wet, when actually it's dry.

"The grass looks green. You wouldn't think it's an issue, but it is. [It's] just a time to watch what you're doing and be careful."

'A grassfire couldlead into a forestfire in ahurry'

People should be vigilant, he said, when smoking and barbecuing. Even using a lawn mower could start a fire, he explained.

"A spark, a cigarette, anything at all could set off a major fire."

It could be as simple as a patio light falling to the ground, described Bishop.

Grass fires, ground fires, bush fires can grow faster than people realize, he said.

"A grass fire could lead into a forest fire in a hurry," he explained.

"You wouldn't believe.somebody drops a cigarette in the ditch and away goes the ditch."

Anything with an ignition source should be used with extra caution, he added.

Campfire caution

"You really shouldn't be burning anything," said Bishop, when the index is high.

As for a popular summer activity like burning a campfire, Bishop stressedthat when the index reaches extreme levels, he wouldn't recommend doing it at all.

"A lot of people have that attitude where, 'I know what I'm doing, I've done this before, never had an issue.' But that's when it'll happen It's when you think you have it under control that you don't," he said.

Most people won't even phone the fire department until it's too late, he added.

Burning permits suspended

At the current fire weather indexlevelall burning permits are suspended.

Permits are necessary for all outdoor burning in the province during fire season (March 15 to Nov.30), but many communities on the Island have their own regulations.

A government site recommends that before burning, you should consult your burning permit for conditions, check weather and wind conditions and check the fire weather index for your region.

While there are showers expected Saturday and Tuesday, the forecast looks dry for the next few weeks, Bishop thinks the index will go from high to extreme "pretty quick" if conditions don't change.

"Be aware of what you're doing and be careful," he stressed.

Fires are difficult to predict, Bishop said, so preventative measures are very important.

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