Dry Conditions Spark Fires in Fields and Forests

Jemma Dooreleyers | Aug 14, 2025

A routine afternoon of farming turned dangerous this weekend when a piece of baling equipment overheated, sparking a wildfire that swept across almost 20 acres of field on Sunday, August 11, 2025 in the area between Rutledge Road and Wilmer Road in Perth Road village.

“It started in the early afternoon,” said Del Blakney, the fire chief for South Frontenac. “Under normal, wetter conditions, we could have had it out in an hour or so. But with the dry weather and a good wind that day, it took off fast.”
Crews battled the blaze for roughly eight hours. The incident is one of 14 wildfires the department has responded to in just the past two weeks, part of a total of 39 emergency calls in that time.
South Frontenac, Central Frontenac and North Frontenac, as well as Loyalist, Stone Mills and Addington Highlands in L&A, are under total burn bans, a decision that was made on August 1st in South Frontenac due to the extreme drought conditions.

Blakney said the decision came after daily reports from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources showed “high” and rising wildfire risk levels. The region falls within a designated provincial wildland fire management zone, meaning conditions are closely monitored for humidity, wind speed, temperature, and available fuel load.
But the weather isn’t the only challenge. Access to water in certain parts of the Cataraqui River region can be difficult, and repeated calls have stretched local resources thin. Wildfires require different, lighter hoses that need to be cleaned and dried before next use so the number of calls have reduced the equipment in rotation significantly. Not to mention, the strain the fire department is feeling due to the number of recent calls.
“About 40–50% of our wildfire equipment is currently out of service because it’s been used so much,” the chief said. “And our firefighters are all volunteers with full-time jobs so the fatigue is real.”

Recent blazes have been traced to farm equipment malfunctions, discarded cigarette butts, ditch fires, and even glass bottles left in the sun.

“People don’t always realize that something as simple as a bottle can focus sunlight enough to start a fire,” Blakney explained.

Quick thinking by camper from Depot Lakes Conservation Area
Matt Hayward has been camping at Depot Lake campground for the past four summers. The Port Hope area resident was up at his camper this past weekend with his kids, hiking and canoeing. Last Saturday he had been on a hike with his adult kids and was travelling on 3rd Depot Lake Road.

They noticed a small fire had started deeper in the woods. He called 911, and also a friend of his, Rob Fenwick from Enterprise, a councillor in Stone Mills Township.
“I did not see the firefighers, because I jumped in my boat to let some campers on the lake know that they might get stuck if the fire cut them off from the road,” he recalls.
The firefighters, from Central Frontenac, came quickly, and prevented the fire from spreading.

“My son was concerned when it started to run up a spruce tree,” Hayward said. “He was trying to put it out, when the firefighters came and made sure it was out.”.
Rob Fenwick said it shows how important we all are when it comes to preventing fires.

“We don't know how this one started, but it could have been a cigarette butt,” he said, “but whenever someone from outside the area saves our bacon like this, we should take note. These campers call this place their secondary home and they care about the land and everyone’s safety. It also shows us that people need to take these fire bans seriously.”

With conditions as dry as they are, fire departments are urging residents and visitors to:
Avoid any open burning, even if it seems safe.

Skip fireworks and campfires.
Properly extinguish cigarettes — “completely out, every time.”

Del Blakney wanted to make the public aware that if they are buying cigarettes from Indigenous reserves, to make sure the butts are completely out because cigarettes not regulated by the province come with different filters and will burn all the way to end they are not snuffed correctly.

Shut off outdoor appliances and equipment when not in use.

Report any signs of fire immediately by calling emergency services.

“If you see something start, act quickly use a fire extinguisher or water if it’s safe to do so, but don’t hesitate to call us,” he said.
While drought conditions continue, the message is clear: every spark has the potential to become a dangerous blaze. 

Video Link to the firefighting effort