Napanee is saying the quiet part out loud with a message that all local communities and citizens should hear loud and clear.
Greater Napanee officials issued an advisory yesterday reminding people that open-air fires remain prohibited on all town-owned municipal property as of October 2nd.
They have been dealing with a series of suspicious fires.
There have been five in the past month and 20 illegal fires related to encampments so far this year on municipal and private property in Greater Napanee.
The issue is causing so much concern that the Fire Department has contacted the OPP. The municipality is also directing staff to allocate resources to deal with future incidents.
While the advisory may be general, the concerns and risks are very specific and are only going to increase as the temperatures drop and the nights get colder.
Lost in the discussion on homelessness sometimes is what people need to do, and what they also will choose to do, when they are cold, and desperate and have no hope.
The risks are very real and the cost in terms of damage, emergency response time and potential injury or loss of life is significant and will continue to grow especially at this time of year.
Winter is coming, and like homelessness, you can’t wish it away or simply hope that the next fire won’t cost much more than just a fine.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
