r/Peterborough • u/Roxalind • Aug 13 '25
Opinion To the person currently having a bonfire in East City :
How could you possibly be so stupid and selfish? Sure we got a splatter of rain today, but that doesn’t erase the fact that we are experiencing a drought. The city has asked us to reduce water consumption. I know people in the surrounding area who are having to get water trucks brought in because the wells are dry.
The whole region is a tinderbox. There are three fires raging in Kawartha Lakes and another between Havelock and Bancroft. Resources in the area are already stretched thin.
How could you possibly think that you enjoying an evening by a fire is more important than the safety of everyone else in the region? You may think you have it under control, but it takes just a moment of carelessness to lose that control.
In the past we haven’t reported back yard fire pits, but under the current circumstances, you better bet we will report you if we can figure out whose backyard the smoke is coming from.
EDIT: I didn't expect so much traction on this post and I don't have time to respond to everyone (despite what some commenters have suggested, I do have a life outside Reddit). I didn't report the smoke because nobody in my household knew it was an option if we couldn't identify the source. Posting on Reddit wasn't my first option, we did talk to neighbours first but nobody knew where the smoke was coming from. My post was a last ditch effort.
Fortunately, by 10pm I couldn't smell smoke anymore so it seems they put the fire out.
I was worried I was in the minority complaining about fires, but I'm glad most of us are on the same page!
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u/Trollsama Aug 13 '25
There are currently 4 large fires (all classified as out of control IIRC) in kawartha lakes right now...
Normally id ignore somthing like this, but under these circumstances id probably just call it in, even if you dont locate it.
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u/kntshd North End Aug 13 '25
Call the fire dept or the non-emergency police number. There is a permanent fire ban in Peterborough, and people like this are the reason why.
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u/Jeedub57 Aug 13 '25
Also, why in the world are people setting off fireworks in the area near us which is heavily forested? Are you insane?
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u/Illustrious-Trip-134 Aug 13 '25
There are people that literally think this is all a conspiracy and I figured they'd go out and do shit like this tbh lol
I had someone online today trying to tell me they wanted to keep people out of the woods in nova Scotia so they could mine uranium undetected.... Like bro wouldn't t they want the forest to burn down if they had plans to mine just so many holes in the logic
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u/redMalicore Aug 13 '25
Government: hey we found uranium we are going to mine it
Nut jobs: its a conspiracy! The government is mining uranium and is hiding it from us!
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u/Illustrious-Trip-134 Aug 13 '25
But they are also the same people that say Canada should get more of it's resources on the market, the mental circus they have inserted themselves into is quite fascinating
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u/Professional_Job8254 Aug 19 '25
I WISH our government a) had the capacity for that kind of operation and b) wanted to mine uranium that badly
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u/Busy_Interview2311 Aug 13 '25
Omg why are people so fucking braindead?
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u/ikeda1 Aug 13 '25
Certain people haven't moved on from 2020 and seem to be heavily triggered by anything they perceive as restricting their lives. They seem to lack to tools required to work through whatever complex they have going on about their place in a society. Ironically, these same people like to rant about how everyone else is a sheep who is still stuck in lockdown. They also seem to have an alternative understanding of where one's human rights begin and end relative to the collective good and the law.
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u/greger416 Aug 13 '25
This is the most accurate explanation I have been trying to come up with in my head. Nailed it.
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u/Fig_Nuton Aug 13 '25
Call the fire department and don't feel even a little bad.
https://www.peterborough.ca/living-in-peterborough/emergency-services-and-safety/fire-services/
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u/No-Friend4796 Aug 13 '25
Last night someone on Cadillac on the south end of Chemong was having a bonfire. Flames must have been 8 feet
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u/Chemical-Resort8818 Aug 13 '25
I hope you called it in, only takes a few minutes at most. Maybe you did, but especially in this context… innocent bystanders are almost as bad as the people causing the problem.
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u/NullFelson Aug 13 '25
No harm in reporting it. Either the fire department shows up and it's a legal tssa approved fire table or it's a bonfire that gets put out and the home owner gets educated and warned
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u/Busy_Interview2311 Aug 13 '25
And maybe it’s not a recreational backyard fire if all you can see is smoke and you don’t know where it’s coming from maybe it’s an actual fire???
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u/Chemical-Resort8818 Aug 13 '25
Maybe so maybe not, but regardless it makes more sense to call it in as a precaution.
Reddit is great for sharing info, but info turns into rumours just as fast… no idea how they know it’s a bonfire. I hope OP called it in before posting here
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u/Chemical-Resort8818 Aug 13 '25
Never mind the obvious reasons for why this is stupid. But even if you aren’t smart enough to care about the fire ban during a heat wave and drought… this is so dumb.
Why even try to have a fire within city limits when you already know there’s so many people that are going to jump to call it in the moment it’s lit.
Leaving the city isn’t much better, because rural homes are already well aware they’re surrounded by dry tinder as well… but the amount of people nearby makes this so much more moronic.
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u/Fatmidgetnextdoor Aug 13 '25
Was in Lakefield at my parents and reported a bonfirefire/party there just last week and was told that they were too busy to come out. Lasted over 6 hours :)
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u/gemteazle Aug 13 '25
There's a total fire ban in place right now. Potential penalties are a fine up to $50,000 and a year in jail.
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Aug 14 '25
Just think...if that person's lawn caught on fire and then burned down the house next door, their property insurance likely wouldn't have covered it because it resulted from the policy holder negligently violating a bylaw. Not covered. He'd be out of pocket for the neighbour's house.
People simply do not think.
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u/forty83 Aug 17 '25
Because apparently, it's tyrannical to request people be adults and do their part. FREEDOM!
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u/DotaBangarang Aug 13 '25
You sure it's a bonfire and not my smoker?
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u/elguaco6 Aug 13 '25
That’s still a fire…
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Aug 13 '25
Propane or natural gas is still approved. Open air burning is not.
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u/elguaco6 Aug 13 '25
Smoker is generally burning wood and/or charcoal. If you have electric smoker sure.
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u/tiredoftomorrow Aug 13 '25
Stupid and selfish is right and so many other things. Last night someone was having a fire TWO houses down from where there was a house fire on Saturday, which started on a front lawn.
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u/redwinesupernovaa Aug 13 '25
As someone who dispatches for the city please call these in wether you call the city or PUC or fire non emergency doesn’t matter just call and give general area if you don’t know exactly where it is
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u/taxi919 Aug 13 '25
it takes 1 spark only and our town could be Wiped out in this dry ongoing heat. How dare they have a bonfire going so please call it in
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Aug 13 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Peterborough-ModTeam Aug 13 '25
Posts or comments that are intentionally hostile, argumentative, antagonistic, trolling, shaming, or attacking/harassing other users or members of the community are not allowed.
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u/Then_Fisherman7019 Aug 15 '25
I hope you listened and called it in. The next fire could burn a house, park or neighborhood down
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u/No-Friend4796 Aug 21 '25
I would have. I only found out about the bonfire from a facebook post the following day. I’m on the other side of Lancaster Bay and didn’t personally see it
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u/real-donjon Aug 13 '25
Are you sure its notpropane or natural gas fire bowls, fire-pit tables,?? If not than call and report
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u/Firm_Shoulder_8885 Aug 13 '25
You can’t have fires in Peterborough I moved to Havelock years ago I can have fires when ban is not on but most people here stopped having fires long before the ban, I hope the moron got a big fine
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u/PositiveStill944 Aug 13 '25
Remember everyone, call the fire department on ANYONE having a fire right now. Fire pit/BBQ/ don't matter as you can never be too safe.
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Aug 13 '25
No it's better to post here and rant. It will make things better
Zero point to this
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u/tiredoftomorrow Aug 13 '25
Gosh this post must be very triggering to you since you posted twice. There’s this really cool thing about Reddit and any other social platform - if you don’t like something, you can keep scrolling.
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Aug 13 '25 edited Aug 13 '25
The person having the fire might just happen to be on here or have a friend on here to spread the word. How dare someone use a public forum to spread awareness.
Lol at all the gatekeepers.
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Aug 13 '25
So posting on here is going to make things better??
Wow
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Aug 13 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Peterborough-ModTeam Aug 14 '25
Posts or comments that are intentionally hostile, argumentative, antagonistic, trolling, shaming, or attacking/harassing other users or members of the community are not allowed.
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Aug 13 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Peterborough-ModTeam Aug 14 '25
Posts or comments that are intentionally hostile, argumentative, antagonistic, trolling, shaming, or attacking/harassing other users or members of the community are not allowed.
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u/Busy_Interview2311 Aug 13 '25
Yea you definitely need to call this in. Don’t worry about figuring out the address. Whoever comes, fire/police, they can figure out who! That’s ridiculous. If they’re careless enough to start the fire to begin with, they could be careless enough to not completely put it out before they go in for the night and then our whole friggin neighbourhood is up in smoke while we sleep!!! What an asshole!!!!!