KINGSCLEARS, N.B. -- A sprawling grassfire in a community near Fredericton has officials reiterating the importance of a province-wide burn ban that’s been in effect since last Monday.
Despite the burn ban, what began as a grassfire in Kingsclear, NB, quickly spread over 25 acres Wednesday evening. Four separate fire departments were called out to help put out the fire, which was still smoking this morning.
Volunteer firefighters from the Upper Kingsclear Fire Department say the fire took about four hours to get under control.
“At one point, it was threatening a Christmas tree plantation,” said Fire Chief Murray Crouse. “But the wind changed, and we got it cut off.”
Crouse also says that with the strong winds, it could have been much worse.
“The way the weather’s been lately, it could be dangerous. It could get away into a subdivision or something, and we could really be in a mess.”
The Upper Kingsclear Fire Department says this was the 45th grassfire they’ve responded to in the area alone since April 1, and the 17th since the provincial burn ban was put in place just ten days ago.
The fire call came in at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, leading officials to wonder whether it was started on purpose. The province-wide ban makes it illegal to start any type of fire in the province. Crouse says the incident is now in the hands of the Department of Natural Resources.
Wildlife Prevention Officer Roger Collet says it’s unusual for fires to burn at night, and that it’s also a myth that grass fires help your grass grow back healthier.
“It doesn’t really help anything at all. If anything, it does more damage to your grass crop than it helps,” says Collet.
While burn bans aren’t uncommon this time of year, this ban has been in for ten consecutive days, which is longer than usual. Officials say the province needs 10 to 15 mms of rain in order for that ban to be lifted.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.
