A burn ban continues for much of southeastern Manitoba.

But that doesn't mean fire halls are now quiet. And have you ever wondered how much it is costing fire departments to respond to all these fires?

Paul Wiebe is Fire Chief for the Rural Municipality of Hanover. Wiebe says it is difficult to put an exact number on how much it costs. But, if you consider that on average, 15 firefighters respond to a single call and then factor operational costs, average maintenance expenses and what is spent replacing that equipment over time, Wiebe says you reach about $1,650 per hour. And, Wiebe says an average grass fire will usually take between one and three hours to fight.

So, who pays for this cost? According to Wiebe, the costs are covered by all ratepayers through taxes.

"Anytime you get the fire department service, you do not pay an additional fee for that," he explains. "There's no invoices sent out for fires."

And, Wiebe says nothing changes during a burn ban. The only difference is that you could be fined for illegally starting a fire.

Brian Brunelle is Bylaw Enforcement Officer for Hanover. He says though a burn ban is currently in place 24 hours a day, they are still permitting backyard fires in approved fire pits or receptacles. For example, you could still have a wiener roast as long as the fire is supervised and there is a water source close by.

Back in 2016, the municipality cleaned up its Fire Prevention and Emergency Services Bylaw. Brunelle explains they were hearing from residents with health issues associated with nuisance smoke. The result of that review is that it will now cost you $1,000 for illegally starting a fire during a burn ban. Brunelle says he thinks that fine is still quite generous.

Brunelle explains the fine is set at $1,000 and does not increase if an intentionally set fire extends to a neighbour's property. However, in such a case, individuals could open themselves to provincial statute charges or criminal code charges.

Though the RM of Hanover has not issued any fines yet this spring, Brunelle says they have handed out numerous fines over the years and been successful in collecting payment. If someone refuses to pay, the matter can be turned over to provincial prosecution and proceed under the Provincial Offences Act.

Whenever there is a fire, the Chief or his designate will determine a cause. Wiebe says if it is considered suspicious, they will bring in help to investigate. If the fire is considered suspicious or illegally set, Wiebe says they will bring in their Bylaw Enforcement Officer.

If a fire spreads to a neighbour's property, damaging buildings, Wiebe says those costs will usually be covered under the neighbour's insurance policy. However, Gerald Banman with Harvest Insurance in Steinbach says during a burn ban, you can not rely on your third party liability insurance to help you out if you are lighting fires illegally.

"He could be leaving himself open to litigation or in civil court or his neighbour's insurance company could be coming after him," adds Wiebe. "If he's not properly insured for that, he could be on the hook for those damages."

It should also be noted the provincial government has cancelled all burning permits in eastern and central regions of the province.