**CITY OF TIMMINS NEWS RELEASE**

An outdated news link, from 2018, has been spreading like wildfire regarding the fire ban in our region being lifted.
The City of Timmins is reminding residents that the province-wide Restricted Fire Zone, issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) on April 3, 2020 remains in effect until further notice.

This applies to all Crown and private land within a municipality, as well as provincial parks and conservation areas, as a proactive measure to ensure emergency response capacity is maintained during these uncertain times.

“While social media is valuable tool to share information broadly and quickly, it is important to ensure that information is accurate,” advised Corporate Communications Coordinator Heather Duhn. “It is easy for us to get excited when we come across news or information we have been waiting to hear, but before clicking that share button, it is important to verify that what we’re sharing is factual, relevant, and timely.”

In a release issued April 3, 2020, Timmins Fire Chief Tom Laughren explained:
“This ban covers all open burning, unless the fire is for cooking or warmth, and is in a stove or installation prescribed in the Outdoor Fires Regulation. While it is not typical to issue these types of regulations so early in the season, we are living in unprecedented times and we all need to do our part to ensure emergency resources remain available, while also making sure we don’t exhaust or compromise our emergency service personnel.”

We ask that residents remain patient as we move through these difficult times together, and to verify sources and dates prior to sharing information.

Filed under: Local News