The chief of the Port Hawkesbury Volunteer Fire Department says grass fires can be a drain on their resources.
Curtis Doucet says this is the time of the year some people light their lawns on fire in hopes of making them grow back better and faster.
Doucet tells The Hawk that’s a myth, and it can waste valuable time and resources if the fire becomes out of control.
“Ultimately, all of our manpower is tied up just trying to extinguish a grass fire, all of our equipment is out and all of the backpacks for doing grass fires are out as well,” he says. “Everything is tied up due to a grass fire, which could really take us away from other serious situations.”
Doucet says conditions could help a fire spread quickly.
“It’s very dangerous, especially this year where we’ve had a very little amount of snow; the ground, the roots and everything else is very, very dry this time of year,” he says. “It’s a major concern for any fire official anywhere in the province right now.”
Doucet says they don’t respond to many grass fires within town limits, but their members get called in to help in other areas.