Fire bans in place for parts of York Region
Several communities within York Region are now under a fire ban as hot and dry conditions continue to cause problems for those fighting forest fires in Ontario and Quebec.
Fire bans are in place for Aurora and Newmarket, along with the townships of King and Georgina Bluffs.
"Due to current weather patterns and no significant rain in the foreseeable future, we need to take steps to avoid large fires," said Ian Laing, Central York Fire Services (CYFS) fire chief and the York Region fire coordinator.
"Every fire decreases our air quality. By banning recreational fires, we're doing what we can to protect those in our community and limit contributing to the poor air quality."
During the fire bans, CYFS asks residents to be extra cautious with anything that could start a fire, such as citronella candles on the deck, propane or gas equipment carefully and cigarette disposal.
Because of the poor air quality due to the surrounding fires, the province recommends people begin reducing or rescheduling outdoor activities if they experience symptoms like coughing and throat irritations.
Fire chiefs from across York Region are assessing the situation, and more fire bans are expected to be implemented.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.