With wildfires taking place across the country, it’s important to be prepared. All of Muskoka remains under a total fire ban and a Provincial restricted fire zone.
Be prepared for any situation.
- Prepare, update and practice your emergency plan and ensure everyone in your household is included;
- Have a 72-hour emergency kit ready with the essentials needed to sustain you and your family for at least three days;
- Test smoke alarms and make sure you have one on every level of your home and outside of all sleeping areas;
- Remove any fire hazards in and around your home, such as dry branches, leaves and debris;
- Know how to turn off utilities;
- Make sure your vehicle has fuel at all times;
- Download and register for the Voyent Alert app for location-based emergency notifications; and
- Be informed of weather conditions, advisories and potentially triggering weather conditions.
With the fires currently taking place in northern Ontario and Quebec, conditions will appear hazy and you may smell smoke. You do not need to report these conditions to the Bracebridge Fire Department.
If you see a column of heavy smoke or flames, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Special Air Quality Statement
Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for Bracebridge and all of central Ontario.
High levels of air pollution are possible due to smoke from the forest fires across Canada. Smoke plumes from forest fires in Quebec may result in deteriorated air quality for most of the week. Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour.
For more information on air quality, visit www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/air-quality-health-index/wildfire-smoke.html
Health and safety
Wildfire smoke can be harmful to everyone’s health, even at low concentrations. Take actions to protect your health by reducing exposure to smoke. Vulnerable populations including those with lung disease (such as asthma), heart disease, seniors, children, pregnant people, and people who work outdoors are at higher risk of experiencing health effects caused by wildfire smoke.
Stop outdoor activities and contact Ontario Health by dialing 8-1-1 or your health care provider if you or someone in your care experiences shortness of breath, wheezing (including asthma attacks), severe cough, dizziness or chest pains. Stay inside if you are feeling unwell and experiencing symptoms.
Resources
- Town of Bracebridge fire prevention
- Town of Bracebridge emergency preparedness
- Be FireSmart – Information from the FireSmart program on how to protect your property from wildland fires
- Forest fires – Information about the current forest fire danger, forest fire activity and fire restrictions across the province
- Ontario Health at 811 or 1-866-797-0007
- Government of Canada weather forecasts and alerts
- Wildfires – Get Prepared