BONE-DRY CONDITIONS
Tecumseh bans burning
With Essex County suffering through a hot dry spell, the Town of Tecumseh has banned outdoor burning.
A lack of rain in Windsor and Essex County has turned conditions bone dry — yellowing lawns across the landscape — so the Tecumseh Fire & Rescue Services on Tuesday announced that it has temporarily forbidden any outdoor fires in the municipality. “We’re banning all burning right until we can get out of this drought,” said Bob Hamilton, Tecumseh’s fire prevention officer. “We’re taking precautions, because a fire would spread so fast with crops starting to dry out right now. They would just go up in a heartbeat.”
Hamilton said his department battled a grass fire two months ago because of a discarded cigarette, when conditions were wetter. Desert-like weather has made the tinderbox effect even more dangerous. A discarded cigarette likely started a fire Saturday that caused $2.3 million in damages, including produce, at TopLine Farms on County Road 18 in Leamington. Tuesday, a field of wheat in Lakeshore caught fire.
Fines during a burn ban in Tecumseh include cost recovery for the fire department and could be more than $500. According to Environment Canada, Windsor has managed a rare feat — no rain in July, at least at Windsor Airport where precipitation is recorded.
“There has been no rain in July. Zero,” said Toronto-based Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips, who was born in Windsor. “I’ve never seen that before. Maybe it has happened, but it’s rare.”
Phillips said the Windsor area typically receives about 50 millimetres of precipitation in July by now, since the average for the month is 90 mm. But not in the current hotbox. Furthermore, temperatures are higher than average by two degrees — a significant jump. Normally, July is about 23 C, taking the average over 24 hours. So far this month, it has averaged 25 C. While Windsor normally sees eight days of 30 C or higher in July, it’s only half way through the month and there have already been 10. “Walking around in Windsor right now is like walking on Rice Krispies: snap, crackle and pop,” Phillips said.
“What you need is some precipitation. But there’s lots of sunshine coming up.”
Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 20s are forecast for the rest of the week, with a 40 per cent chance of precipitation Saturday and Sunday.
“But it’s only a 40 per cent chance,” Phillips noted.
“I don’t even carry an umbrella for 40 per cent.
“Our models are saying the second half of the summer will be warmer than normal and drier than normal.”
The City of Windsor has for years banned any type of outdoor fire, even to roast marshmallows, though barbecue and roaster appliances are permitted.
Dry conditions, however, still present risks.
“It’s always a concern,” Windsor chief fire prevention officer John Lee said. “Mulch generates its own heat. If somebody throws a cigarette into dry mulch, that’s an issue. “We always want people to be careful with dry conditions.”
FIRE SAFETY
The Tecumseh Fire & Rescue Services wants residents to think about fire safety during the current dry spell, and has offered several tips: Don’t burn anything outside; Extinguish cigarettes and cigars in ashtrays or sand;
Don’t use fireworks or sparklers; Do not leave fire tables unattended;
Use lanterns or flashlights instead of candles; Remove flammable material like leaves, branches and wood; Ensure barbecues and outdoor stoves are away from buildings and fences.
There has been no rain in July. Zero. I’ve never seen that before. Maybe it has happened, but it’s rare.