Wexford County Emergency Services said it’s important for people to stay away from road closures when firefighters are dealing with active wildfires.
Emergency Management Director Randy Boike said there have been a few close calls with firefighters almost being hit as they jump out into the road to refill brush trucks with water.
Boike said factors like the roads being narrower with emergency vehicles on both sides and the noise from the trucks making it so hard to hear makes it so people need stay away so they don’t make a risky job even worse.
“We just had a fire recently, just last week in Manton and several vehicles bypassed both the pylons and blocking emergency vehicles, came very close to a couple of firefighters. And it’s startling. It really is. We don’t want a tragedy to happen. So, we ask people to please, please, when there’s a road closure, give them the room,” said Boike.
Boike also said that even though we have gotten a bit of rain, the risk of wildfires is still very present. He expects to be back to fighting wildfires again soon.
