Muskoka fire officials warn of unpredictable forest fire season

Fire officials in Muskoka are marking the start of the grass and forest fire season one month earlier than normal amid dry conditions brought on by a mild winter.

While flooding is predominately the largest concern this time of year, Gravenhurst Fire Chief Jared Cayley said that's no longer the case as we head into the Spring.

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"The indications we're getting now are that we may not have a problem with flooding," Cayley said. "But we may see a problem with a lack of water, so as a fire official, that worries us."

While wildfires are typically seen in Northern Ontario, Cayley is concerned the shift in weather could bring them closer to home.

"Areas that aren't necessarily prone to wildfires and wildland-urban interface fires are becoming more so," he added.

According to Environment Canada, Muskoka has averaged anywhere between 45 to 70 centimetres of snow on the ground in March over the last five years.

"We may see it in a few small spots here and there, but that number this year is essentially zero," said David Phillips, Senior Climatologist with Environment Canada. So the whole province is dry now; it's been record warm, and so, is this going to be the year of the wildfire season, where we see grassfires locally and forest fires?"

Phillips said it's difficult to predict another year of wildfires like the country saw in 2023, but the dry conditions should have everyone on alert.

"We're in a very delicate, dangerous, crisis-kind of situation," he added. So I think it means we have to be more careful when we visit the forest this year and go to picnics and park areas and things like that because it's not just lightning that causes forest fires."

Fire bans have yet to be enacted in Gravenhurst. When they are, Chief Cayley said it's critical to adhere to the restrictions this summer.