Fire chief now has the power to ban consumer fireworks

City council voted to give Ottawa's fire chief the power to ban residents from launchingfireworks, though atop public safety officialexpressed hopeitwon't be neededthisCanada Day.

River ward Coun. Riley Brockington proposed the change through a motion at Wednesday's council meeting, where it passed. He cited recent wildfires in Ontario and Quebec and the worry that fireworks couldstart more fires by igniting grass, shrubs or trees, especially during dry conditions.

The motion would cover the kind of small-scale fireworks residents can buy at the store for personal use, not large-scale commercial or public fireworks displays.

Brockington pointed out, up to now, only council had the authority to ban fireworks and might not be able to move quickly enough in response to threats. His motion amended a bylaw to allow the fire chief to do sofor a temporary period "to mitigate the risk of fires, based on environmental, weather and other conditions."

The preamble to the motion considers the prospect of such a ban"both immediately on or about Canada Day 2023, if necessary and warranted by changing conditions."

But in an interview with CBC, Brockington predicted that's unlikely to happen. Heavy rains fell in the region on Monday, and Ottawa Fire Services lifted an open air fire ban on Tuesday.Brockingtonsaid his main aim is allowing for a quicker response to extreme weather events in the future.

"I don't see any ban on fireworks for this coming Canada Day this week," he said."Certainly the rainy weather has helped address some of the drier conditions in Ottawa."

But he didn't rule it out either.

"With the neighbouring forest fires in NorthernOntarioand Quebec,that's certainly at the back of everybody's mind," Brockington said.

More than 100 forest fires burning in Quebec

According to Quebec'sSocit de protection des forts contre le feu (SOPFEU), there are currently more than 100 forest fires burning in thatprovince. Ontario Forest Fires reports60 active wildfires in the northeast and northwest regions, as ofWednesday.

"At the end of the day, if the Ottawafire chiefbelieves that current weatherconditions are an issue and that there is a heightenedthreat to public safety or property, he now has that authority to make a decision," Brockington said.

Kim Ayotte, the city's manager of emergency and protective services,took a similarly cautious line but hoped the new authority wasn't necessary this weekend.

The bylaw amendment won't make any difference for the big Canada Day show slated forLeBreton Flats on July 1.