Wet summer good for local firefighters
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/08/2009 (5876 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
THIS summer’s wet and cool weather has been brutal for farmers and beach goers, but it’s made one group happy — the province’s firefighters.
Blair McTavish, director of Manitoba Conservation’s regional operations division, said at a time of year when firefighters and water bomber aircraft are usually busy putting out blazes in northern areas of the province, nothing’s happening here.
“We have no fires burning in the province at this time,” McTavish said on Friday.
“With the 20-year average, we usually have 425 fires by Aug. 7, but this year we’ve had 130. We’re down significantly for fires. “We haven’t had a fire since July 14.”
McTavish said many forest fires are sparked by lightning strikes, but there are fewer bolts of lightning when the temperatures are cooler. And with so much moisture on the ground, it’s tougher for a fire to start.
It’s part of the reason why Manitoba was able to loan 80 firefighters and 13 managers to battle the blazes in British Columbia in the last two weeks.
McTavish said even if Manitoba suddenly gets drier weather, and forest fires are sparked, we’re already near the end of the fire season because nights are getting cooler.
— Kevin Rollason
Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press’s city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin.
Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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