Fire pits and barbecues are okay in Moose Jaw, but safety first

Moose Jaw Fire Department offers rules and guidelines for fire pits and barbecues in the city

There are few things more relaxing and enjoyable than a gathering of friends and family around a blazing fire pit or outdoor fireplace on a warm summer’s evening. That is, until the fence right next to the good times catches on fire, spreads to the eaves of the neighbour’s house and minutes later has reduced the whole thing to an unsalvageable inferno.

The Moose Jaw Fire Department wants to make sure that doesn’t happen to anyone in the city and recently released a reminder of the guidelines and bylaws surrounding fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and barbecues in the city.

The good news is even with the beautifully warm weather and comfortable evenings we’ve seen as of late, moisture conditions still remain safe throughout the city, meaning fires are good to go.

“We haven’t put a fire ban in the City of Moose Jaw so far, and hopefully we don’t have to put one; it’s relatively safe as long as they adhere to our guidelines for fire pits and open fires,” said Cathie Bassett public education officer with the Moose Jaw Fire Department. “We have put in bans before when it was really dry, but we’re not there yet. So right now, citizens can have fire pits as long as they follow the guidelines.”

A complete list of those guidelines for fire pits can be found on their Facebook page in postings on June 24 and June 26.

Fortunately, the fire department hasn’t had to deal with any blazes caused by fire pits in recent times, as the vast

Outdoor fire pits and barbecues are perfectly safe in Moose Jaw, as long as everyone is smart about their usage. (Getty Images)

majority follow the rules and are as safe as can be. “If it’s a legal firepit, they’re checking their stuff and it’s in a good place in the yard, not too close to anything that could catch fire,” Bassett said. “And we’re getting calls all the time for information, so we do anything we can to help people know the safest way to do things.” Barbecues, on the other hand, have posed an issue – local firefighters recently had to help with a situation that ended up melting the siding off a house and nearly caused far more damage.

“It was just too close to the house,” Bassett explained. “That’s more of a concern at this time, people remembering to keep them away from fences and siding and things like that.”

Vinyl siding is especially vulnerable to excessive heat, with plenty of horror shows found with a quick search on Google.

A major factor in barbecue incidents is cleanliness of the cooking device – the more gunk, the greater the chance of something bad happening.

“With barbecues, I can’t stress cleanliness enough, because when you have grease and everything else, that’s what’s going to start a fire if you get your barbecue too hot,” Bassett said. “So cleanliness is the key for barbecue safety, as well as location.”

As with everything involving fires, common sense is key: keep fires to a reasonable size, pay attention and most importantly, be smart.

“People have to think about what they’re going to do, should I or shouldn’t I, especially when there’s any kind of a wind,” Bassett said. “It’s always a concern, but just have to be smart and think of their fire safety when they’re in their yards doing their thing.”

For more information, be sure to keep an eye on the Moose Jaw Fire Department Facebook page or contact the fire department at (306) 692-2792.