Greater Moncton fireworks show causes small brush fire
The Greater Moncton Canada Day fireworks show along the Petitcodiac River went ahead despite a provincial burn ban for the region and ended up sparking a small brush fire that was put out by firefighters.
Westmorland County had been red on the provincial burn ban index, meaning that campfires and brush fires were not allowed. But local and provincial officials say the burn ban and fireworks are separate from each other.
Riverview Fire Chief Robin True said in an interview with Radio-Canada that, like normal, two firefighters were on site for the fireworks.
After the fireworks, there was a “small brush fire” adjacent to the site in Riverview at around 10:15 p.m., True said, adding that it was “99.99 per cent likely” that it was caused by the fireworks.
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The response included approximately 18 firefighters from both Riverview and Moncton, he said. Firefighters were on scene for about 40 minutes to put out the fire, which he estimated as 0.1 to 0.2 hectares.
A brush fire broke out following the Canada Day fireworks in Riverview. (Babatundé Lawani/Radio-Canada)
The fireworks show is an event jointly put on by Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview, and so was the decision to still hold the fireworks, True said.
“So we assessed the risk and had to make a determination if we could manage that risk and we felt that we could,” he said.
A social media post from the City of Moncton on Wednesday evening said that the three fire departments “have reviewed the event safety plan and deemed the display safe to proceed.”
“Residents and visitors are reminded that a fire ban is currently in effect for this region, and all other outdoor burning activities remain prohibited,” the post said.
True said the provincial burn ban index is for Category 1 fires, which are campfires and small wood piles. He said fireworks are different, and don’t “have any relationship to the provincial burn index.”
Fires larger than a Category 1 require permits, according to the Natural Resources website.
“We went through that assessment of the risk and made the decision that we would be safe to proceed as long as we had mitigation measures in place, which included firefighters on site,” True said.
But in other parts of the province, the provincial burn ban was used as justification for cancelling fireworks shows.
In Kings County, the map turned red at 2 p.m., leading Sussex to cancel its display.
Sussex Fire Chief Tony Reicker said the municipality had recently updated its bylaw to say that when the provincial burn map for the area is red, no fireworks will be allowed.
“It's a specific bylaw for the municipality and for our Sussex Fire Department coverage area,” Reicker said.
Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Valerie Kilfoil confirmed in an email that the burn ban does not cover fireworks.
A burned area of the marsh the day after the fireworks display. (Myriam Breau/Radio-Canada)
“In the case of the Canada Day fireworks, [representatives] from the cities of Moncton and Dieppe, and the Town of Riverview did reach out to the Department of Natural Resources for advice,” Kilfoil said.
She said while the decision to go ahead with fireworks rests with municipalities themselves, "the department was confident that each of these municipalities was fully prepared with onsite fire suppression and safety measures and a plan in place.”
Birder says fireworks happen during nesting season
Alain Clavette lives in Memramcook and has been an avid birder for 35 years, previously teaching an ornithology course at the Université de Moncton.
Clavette said he has visited the area where the fireworks are set off in past years and described it as a wetland environment.
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He said he has been pushing for the fireworks show to stop for decades as it happens in the middle of nesting season for many bird species.
"At this time of year, babies are being fed on their nest, young families of ducklings are following their parents," Clavette said.
"We're not allowed to have a fire in our backyard, yet the city of Moncton set ablaze a whole wetland full of life."
Clavette said a lot of species of the birds on the marsh will stay on their nest when there is commotion.
"They'll give their life to protect their babies."
This article, written by Sam Farley, was originally published for CBC News, with files from Radio-Canada.