The RM of Portage la Prairie won't be issuing a fire ban anytime soon.

Reeve Kam Blight says people have been asking them why they haven't issued one for some time now, and they've already got something in place as protection.

"There's the Wildfire Act that's already in place, and that already provides a lot of the same protections they're looking for. They have the ability to charge people if they're going out there and starting fires and it causes problems. They already have that ability, it's already in place."

Blight says a lot of the time people burn in their fields, without any problems.

Kam Blight

"We just feel it's not the right approach to take. It's not necessarily the people that are being responsible that are causing the problems, and with all do respect, arsonists are not going to respect a RM or municipal Burning Ban"

Blight says it's important to let the fire department know you're burning.

"Let (the fire department) know of your intentions for burning -- so that when they do get the calls -- they know what's going on and can reassure the people that have called everything is fine, and they're monitoring the situation."

Blight says you can be charged under the Wildfire Act if you start a fire that leads to a problem.