Should fire ban violations be made public? Absolutely, says one N.B. firefighter

The wildfire season is longer and hotter these days, sparking more risks that your annual campfire or brush fire can get out-of-control, says Scott Poupart.

The president of the New Brunswick Association of Fire Chiefs says the Maritimes has seen the impact of that over the last year, mostly in Nova Scotia.

Fires in Shelburne, Barrington, and Upper Tantallon destroyed whole neighbourhoods, and in some cases, burned for weeks.

“We'll never recover from the tragic events that went on there,” Poupart said. “People have to understand that when their fire bans are on or when we're being advised that burning should only be done during certain times, it means that the index is saying that there is more danger or the risk is higher of something getting out of control if you're not really careful.”

Those fires caused Nova Scotia to increase their fine amount to $25,000 for violating the burn ban.

So far this year, the season has been quieter.

A fire burns near Shelburne, N.S., during the summer of 2023. (CTV Atlantic)

A spokesperson for the province’s Department of Natural Resources and Renewables says that’s because of wetter conditions earlier in the season and “hopefully in part due to raised awareness after last year’s devastating wildfires.”

But there are still people who violate daily burn bans or do not have the proper permits and safety measures in place to burn, says Poupart.

Poupart also he wonders if more repercussions are warranted.

“I believe in prevention and education above all, but there comes a time when basically you have to really open somebody's eyes, and sometimes that means in the pocketbook,” he said.

Between March 15 and July 19, the Nova Scotia government issued 41 fines for burn ban violations – of those 13 were for $25,000, totaling $325,000.

Since the beginning of this fiscal year – April 1 – there have been 164 violations under the Forest Fire Act in New Brunswick. Of those, 23 people have been convicted, amounting to $5,263.50 in fines.

Sixteen files are weaving their way through the New Brunswick courts, according to the Department of Justice and Public Safety.

Fines in New Brunswick “typically” range from $172.50 to $604.50, but a judge can determine when a fine up to $20,500 is warranted.

The circumstances surrounding these violations is not known – and Porpaut says that might be a lost teaching moment.

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“You see it in the paper all the time when somebody is stopped for a DUI or, you know, or speeding. I mean, now you can see pictures if you go on ‘X’ for instance. It will have a picture of the police car’s camera with the speed on it, and they'll say, ‘This person was doing 175 km in 100 km zone, they got a $607 fine and lost their car for 30 days,’” he said. “I absolutely think it should be the same thing with people that are ignoring fire bans or are careless with setting fires.”

Porpaut says he often responds to out-of-control grass fires where the property owner didn’t realize they needed a category one fire permit.

Others are not aware they need an approved safety plan if they want to burn a piece of property that’s beyond a certain size.

Poupart says, no matter what, New Brunswick firefighters – of who 95 per cent are volunteers – will show up when the call is made.

The result of an out-of-control grass fire outside Fredericton in 2020. (CTV Atlantic)

But Poupart would like to see more awareness around the repercussions of a human-caused out-of-control fire.

“It doesn't have to be a name, but, hey, you know, this happened because somebody was careless and we need we need to get that message out there,” he said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for New Brunswick’s Department of Justice and Public Safety said they’re not considering that.

“It is important to note not every violation warrants a ticket and JPS officers’ priority is education, not punishment. Publicly disclosing who has been fined is not something the department is considering,” Geoffrey Downey stated.

So far this year, there have been 59 wildfires in Nova Scotia, compared to 208 by June 30, 2023.

In New Brunswick, there have been 208 wildfires so far, compared to 186 in 2023, but far less area has burned this year (184.6 ha) than last (843.3 ha).