As temperatures across the province continued to skyrocket at the end of last week, Wellington County issued an outdoor fire ban Friday morning, in effect until further notice.

All open-air fires are prohibited throughout the County. Open-air fires are defined as any fire outside of a building, including bonfires, campfires, burn barrels, outdoor fireplaces/chimineas or any other fires set in open air.

The ban has been imposed due to the extreme dryness of all vegetation in the County. Provincial forest and wild-land fire indicators are all at extreme levels.

In Centre Wellington, if the fire department has to respond to an open-air blaze, the individual found responsible could face fines of $410 per vehicle dispatched, per hour.

If you discover a fire in the open, it is very important to immediately call 9-1-1 to report it. Do not delay reporting while attempting to control or extinguish the fire.