Most people think of wildfire season as late June through early September. But believe it or not, there is a period of increased wildfire risk in early spring.

Shortly after the snow has melted, but before vegetation begins to green up, dead grass, leaves, and deadfall branches can become more susceptible to burning as days warm up and conditions dry out. Trees, especially conifers, have a low foliar (needle) moisture content. This makes them especially vulnerable to fire spreading into their crowns and quickly jumping from tree to tree in early spring. This is the “spring dip,” and it happens every year.

The problem with the spring dip is that many people assume spring is a soggy time of year and that it’s safe to burn without taking extra care.

Pro-tip: It’s never safe to burn without taking extra care.

If you are planning a spring campfire, or burning debris to clean up around your property, always:

• Check for fire prohibitions and with local government to ensure burning is allowed in your area.
• If it’s windy, don’t burn. Check your local forecast before lighting an open fire.
• Choose your fire’s location carefully, position it a safe distance from anything flammable.
• Create a wide fuel break (also called a “firebreak”) by scraping down to mineral soil to remove any flammable debris.
• Campfires should be in a fire pit or surrounded by a rock ring and no larger than half a metre by half a metre.
• Category 2 open fires for backyard burning should be no larger than 3 metres wide by 2 metres tall.
• Never leave your fire unattended, not even for a few minutes.
• Have a hand tool readily available and enough water to put the fire out.
• You must have 8 litres for a campfire and a fire suppression system for a Category 2 open fire.
• When you are done burning, make sure the fire is out and ashes are cool to the touch.
• Did we mention that you should never leave your fire unattended while it’s burning?

Learn more about open fire and safe burning.