Wildfire season begins on Prince Edward Island

The Greenwich peninsula portion of Prince Edward Island National Park is seen in Greenwich, P.E.I. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

The annual wildfire season began on Prince Edward Island Sunday.

While burning restrictions are in effect through the year, additional restrictions are in effect during wildfire season, which runs from March 15 to Nov. 15.

Permits are not required for domestic brush burning, but burns can only be conducted after 2 p.m., if conditions allow, and must be fully extinguished by 8 a.m. the following morning.

Campfires do not require burn permits, but in the case of severe fire risk, the province says it may ban all burning, including campfires.

“Last year’s fire season, with the dry weather conditions, reminded us all of the risks of forest fires in PEI. Thankfully, wildfire impact was minimal due to the diligence of our wildfire team, volunteer fire departments, and Islanders,” said Land and Environment Minister Darlene Compton in a news release. “I hope all Island communities will explore every option for preventing forest fires and to get FireSmart before the warm weather arrives. Staying informed helps protect our forests, people and the environment.”

During the wildfire season, Islanders are advised to:

• avoid using mulch around homes because it is highly flammable and can even ignite from a reflection in the right conditions
• regularly remove dry, dead debris from gardens
• keep grass shorter than 10 cm when possible, but avoid mowing in drought conditions
• consider removing softwood (evergreen) trees from up against homes and structures because these trees are more flammable than other species of trees.

“A big focus for our staff this year is community wildfire resiliency. Mitigating fire impacts at the community level will make the biggest difference,” said Mike Montigny of Forests, Fish and Wildlife in the release. “Being prepared is always easier than trying to recover from a forest fire. Communities and municipalities can reach out to our team for some help getting started on a community wildfire resiliency plan.”

Burn restrictions will be updated every day at 2 p.m. until Nov. 15.

For more P.E.I. news, visit our dedicated provincial page.