A fire ban has been declared in Hay River due to dry conditions.
The ban, which doesn’t apply to proper fire pits, was called following two separate fires in the community this week.
Fire chief Ross Potter says a fire broke out on Monday when sparks from a construction project ignited grass nearby.
A second fire was reported on Tuesday near a walking path which Potter suspects may have started when a lit cigarette was thrown to the ground.
“Both of them were contained quickly as we were advised of them fairly quickly,” Potter told Moose FM.
‘We were able to keep them under control but we’re certainly concerned with the dryness of the ground and air right now.
“Even the muskeg is almost like a powder in some areas so it is really, really dry right now.”
Potter says he’s not releasing any burn permits that would allow people to burn materials in yards.
“We haven’t gotten to the point yet where we’re stopping backyard fire pits from being used but generally speaking, if you can avoid using any fires definitely do so.”
Potter says the town is going to need a lot of precipitation before the ban can be lifted.
Residents are being asked to avoid throwing lit cigarettes on the ground and to not leave vehicles running in deep grass.
