Despite getting some more rain in recent weeks, Peace River MLA Dan Williams says people still need to be mindful of the potential of fires in the area.
With warmer temperatures on the horizon, Williams says it’s important to know how easy it is for human interactions to start fires.
“If you’re camping, put your campfire out. You should be able to put your hand in that campfire when it’s doused and cool enough to the touch. Anyone who’s smoking cigarettes, cigars, etc., be very conscientious of what you’re doing and if you’re going to do any off-highway vehicles etc., make sure you’re checking the fire conditions in the area you’re running in to make sure that there is not a fire ban and that it’s an appropriate trail for you to be on.”
Around two-thirds of the fires that happened last year were determined to be “human caused”.
One of those fires from last season was the Paskwa fire that damaged many homes in Fox Lake and many residents are still to this day unable to return home.
Williams says the province has been advocating for support for the community.
“It is a federal responsibility, nonetheless the province has stepped and is stepping in advocating for our First Nations and our Metis communities that need support. Obviously when it came to East Prairie, we saw a lot of work done there by the province to rebuild those homes and Paddle Prairie as well supporting through the Metis general council.”
Williams says he remains “hopeful” that the federal government will provide support to rebuild homes in Fox Lake.
We talked about some other topics with Williams and you can listen to that full interview below.
– Kyle Moore, Trending 55 Newsroom
