All outdoor fires now banned in Winnipeg as extremely dry conditions drag on
City expands open-air ban put in place over the weekend
If you hoped to sit around a firepit in a Winnipeg backyard in the near future, you're out of luck.
The city of Winnipeg is expanding its ban on outdoor fires to include all outdoor fires as the dry spring continues in southern Manitoba.
On Wednesday, the city expanded a temporary open-air burn ban imposed over the weekend to include fires in approved outdoor receptacles — including approved firepits — on public or private property.
The original ban implemented over the weekend included a prohibition on bonfires, burning crop residue, disposing of wood and warning fires.
In a news release, the city said extremely dry weather conditions in the Winnipeg area have increased the risk of dangerous fires, including grass, brush and wild fires.
The past few days have seen fires sweep through several southern Manitoba communities, destroying multiple homes.
This past April was Winnipeg's driest since 1988 and the fourth driest on record, according to an Environment Canada meteorologist.
Winnipeg got just 1.7 millimetres of rain last month, compared to its average of 19.2 millimetres.
The city says the ban will be lifted when conditions improve.