The Portage la Prairie Fire Department's been dealing with an increase in fires in BFI bins in the city.

Deputy Fire Chief Dave Holmes says there have been five or six as of the last few days. He urges anyone with that kind of bin to take steps to limit the opportunity.

Deputy Fire Chief Dave Holmes

"Ensure that bins are locked, whenever possible. That should deter some of the problems. Keeping bins a safe distance away from buildings, where they're not going to cause any undue fire hazards. Ensure that they're regularly dumped. If there's a pile of combustibles in that bin, it's opportunity seen, opportunity taken, sometimes."

Holmes acknowledges most BFI bin fires aren't significant, but the fire department doesn't treat them that way.

"We look at each and every call as a potential for danger for harm to the public, to buildings, and to our firefighters. So every call that we respond to, we treat it with the respect we need to treat it with, and we respond and act appropriately."

He recommends homeowners take precautions around their property as well.

"Whether it's in your yard, around your home, your garage, your shops, or in the commercial, business areas, we want to keep those combustibles tidied up. Don't allow them to build up."