Human activity has already started 35 forest fires in Manitoba this year, and forest fire crews are ready for a busy season.
"If we don't get precipitation in the next couple of weeks that will have a huge impact on fires," said Manitoba Conservation's forest fire boss Tom Mirus at a Tuesday news conference.
Fire crew's first mission was last Thursday - when two water bombers were dispatched to help ground crews fight a 300-hectare fire in the RM of North Cypress.
"This is the best prepared we've been in a number of years," said Mirus, who said fire crew began training on April 14, the earliest spring training date ever.
The number of fires is actually low. By this time last year, there had been 49 fires. The average for this time of year is 80. But Manitoba Conservation says there are several parts of the province that will become tinder boxes if precipitation remains low.
"If we have a couple of weeks of warm, windy and dry weather in areas of the province that are dry this spring, it will become more of a potential fire hazard," said conservation minister Stan Struthers.
Right now the entire west side of the province is very dry, and there are pockets of dry areas around the province, including the north Interlake.
That's why people need to be a lot more careful when enjoying Manitoba wilderness and cottage areas, Mirus said.
"If we get fires over the [May] long weekend, they're likely going to be human caused," said Mirus. About half of all wildfires are human caused, and officials will charge anyone found deliberately setting fires.
Additions to the force
The forest fire fighting force has been strengthened this year.
There are 18 more initial attack firefighters into the Snow Lake, Thompson and Lac Du Bonnet areas. There's also a sixth helicopter joining the mix.
Tuesday's news conference was staged in front of one of Manitoba's seven Canadair CL-215 Water Bombers.
Conservation officers monitor weather patterns, lightning strikes, and soil moisture and forest conditions daily to determine the probability and location of wildfires.
Open fires are prohibited from April 1 to Nov. 15 annually unless a burning permit is obtained or if fires are enclosed in approved fire pits such as campfire grates in provincial campsites. Fires must be properly put out. To properly extinguish a fire, water should be poured on the embers and stirred in the enclosed pit.
With a report from CTV's Rachel Lagac�.
