The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Pleaman Forsey, Minister of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands:

Speaker, forest fire season will be in effect on the Island of Newfoundland tomorrow, May 1, and in Labrador on May 15.

During forest fire season, a permit is required to burn vegetation, wood, or paper. Burn permits are free and easily accessible, and they help ensure outdoor burning occurs safely.

Speaker, we tend to focus on the people, programs and resources we have in place to fight wildfires – and rightly so. We have more wildland firefighters and aerial support this year, and more resources in place for volunteer fire departments and communities.

But the most important thing to think about during forest fire season is how to prevent wildfires from starting at all.

With spring clean-up underway after a long winter, we remind people that burning grass is a dangerous practice.

While burn permits are not required to light campfires on soil, gravel or sand, be sure to check the daily forest fire hazard risk in your area before you burn.

Resident can take simple actions to prevent wildfires, like stacking wood piles away from houses, watering and trimming grass, removing weeds around the yard, or ensuring ATVs and power saws are properly equipped with spark arrestors.

Speaker, our government has shown its commitment to supporting wildfire prevention and readiness. Budget 2026 will invest over $7 million in new funding for emergency preparedness, and $2.2 million for wildfire prevention and mitigation.

We will continue to provide the resources necessary to fight wildfires and I urge everyone in the province to do their part to help keep us all safe.

Thank you.