The Society for the Protection of Forests Against fire (SOPFEU) reports that, each year, 80% of forest fires are caused by human activity, which corresponds to 370 fires in Quebec. A careless act like throwing a cigarette butt on the ground or lighting an open fire on a windy day can have disastrous consequences on the natural environment. Do you recognize yourself in any of the situations below? If so, do you know the safe behaviors to adopt?
Published at 8:30 a.m.
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Early spring… Fires too?
After a particularly mild winter with little snow, forest fires are also experiencing a rather early start to the season in 2024. SOPFEU invites the population to regularly consult the daily fire danger index and to be vigilant at all times.
Waste burning
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75 fires each year
Spring cleaning brings its share of branches, dead leaves, weeds and scraps of materials. Rather than burning them, it is more ecological and safer to get rid of them when collecting green waste, by visiting an ecocenter or by making compost.
If this is not possible, consult municipal regulations to verify whether a permit is necessary or whether this practice is prohibited. Choose an open location, covered with dirt, sand or gravel, without combustibles on the ground and sheltered from the wind. Monitor the fire continuously, do not let it exceed one meter in diameter and have something to extinguish it within reach. Postpone your activity if the fire danger rating is HIGH or EXTREME.
Smoking articles
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80 fires each year
Even if you crush it on the ground, a cigarette butt retains enough heat to set vegetation on fire, especially in dry, windy weather. It is also prohibited to smoke in the forest or near it from 1er April to November 15 if you work outside or travel, unless you are in a closed vehicle.
If you wish to smoke, stop in an open area with a dirt or sand surface and stay there. Any cigarette butt must be wet or crushed against a rock to ensure it is completely extinguished, then discarded in a container provided for this purpose.
Campfire
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60 fires each year
It only takes a few moments for an unattended campfire to turn into an uncontrollable blaze. According to SOPFEU, wind, sparks and the excessive size of the fire most often explain this phenomenon.
Favor the use of a fireplace equipped with a spark arrester. If you light an open fire, make sure beforehand that no ban for this purpose is in force. Choose a clear location with sand, gravel or dirt ground. Monitor flames at all times. Have water or sand nearby to extinguish the ashes completely. Finally, do not start a fire when the wind blows above 20 km/h or when the fire danger is HIGH or EXTREME.
4 SECONDARY CAUSES (but just as damaging!)
Electric wires
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25 fires each year
A tree branch that falls on an electrical wire risks cutting the latter and dragging it towards the ground. The electrical wire can then produce sparks which could start a fire if it ends up in dry brush. It is therefore important to ensure regular maintenance of trees and vegetation on the ground near electrical cables. If the trees are less than three meters from the wires, call an arborist authorized by Hydro-Québec instead.
All-terrain vehicles (ATV)
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10 fires each year
Some mechanical parts, notably the exhaust pipe, emit enough residual heat to set brush on fire. Park in an open area, away from vegetation.
Hearth ashes
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6 fires each year
Shovel hot ashes into a raised-bottom metal container with a lid and store them outside, on a non-combustible surface and more than 1 m from any object. Let them cool for at least seven days before disposing of them.
Fireworks
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3 fires each year
Impossible to predict where the smoking debris and sparks will be thrown after each explosion! Make sure that municipal regulations allow this activity before organizing it, far from a wooded area. Follow the same safety instructions as for a campfire, explained above.
