FIRE DANGER RATING: TOTAL BAN LIFTED

MUSKOKA — A couple of days of rain has resulted in a slight downgrade in the district-wide fire ban — from ‘extreme’ to ‘high,’ which means the ‘total fire ban’ is now off.

The change is effective Tuesday, July 30.

But district fire chiefs still say extreme caution must be taken with all open flames.

However, small fires are permitted in most rural areas of Muskoka keeping in mind that “NO DAYTIME BURNING” is allowed.

They warn you must have adequate tools and water to extinguish the fire if the need arises and you must be with your fire at all times.

Muskoka fire chiefs have lifted the total fire ban as of Tuesday, July 30. However, they warn extreme caution must be taken if small fires are lit.

As well, consult with your local bylaw department for outdoor burning regulations in your municipality.

This is the Forest Fire Danger Rating for Restricted Fire Zone RFZ 27 (District of Muskoka).

The Muskoka Fire Season runs April 1st to October 31st each year. The rating is verified daily and updated whenever the rating changes.

For complete information on burning in your municipality please check with your local municipal office at:

The Muskoka Fire Danger Rating is determined using the Fire Weather Index (FWI), an internationally used method for determining the risk of fires in open air.

It uses factors such as the relative humidity, temperature, previous 24-hour rain amount, wind directions and wind speed in combination with the forest fuel type and loads to determine the risk of the forest to certain fire types.

From this calculation the Forest Fire Danger Rating is made in consultation with the Fire Chiefs of the six area municipalities and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

For more information, contact your local fire department at:

Bracebridge 705-645-5264

Georgian Bay 705-538-2765

Gravenhurst 705-687-3412

Huntsville 705-789-5201

Lake of Bays 705-635-2272

Muskoka Lakes 705-765-3156