SOPFEU: warning on burning dead leaves

SOPFEU: warning on burning dead leaves

The Société de protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU) and municipal firefighters have issued a warning regarding the burning of dead leaves and other residues during the fall period. According to SOPFEU and the municipal firefighters’ information, they intervened on about twenty forest fires that are a result, in part, of burning leaves. In order to avoid unfortunate situations, SOPFEU therefore recommends opting for ecological and safer solutions such as:

Prepare fertilizer for the lawn:
o Mow the leaves to shred them;
o Spread residues on the ground so that they hide in the lawn.

Protect the plants from the winter:
o Pick up dead leaves quickly to prevent rotting;
o Lay clusters around the plants so that the air can circulate easily;
o Use a nylon net for the windier areas to hold the leaves dead.

Improve the compost:
o Gather the leaves before they are too wet and strewn with black spots;
o Shred the plants so that they decompose quickly;
o Place the remaining leaves in bags for storage and use later in the year.

Use green waste collections:
o prioritize this option if the others are not possible;
o Check your municipal collection calendar;
o Check how to dispose of your dead leaves for easy collection (garbage cans, reusable rigid containers, biodegradable bags, etc.).