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Too many Londoners are not taking the city’s ban on outdoor fires seriously, tying up firefighter resources and putting first responders at risk, a deputy fire chief says.

London firefighters responded to 65 calls for open burns, averaging 13 a day, in the first five days after the prohibition was put in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“There have been a lot of people who are upset with it and feel that it is their right to have a fire in their backyard,” deputy fire chief Matt Hepditch said of the decree.

“However, our focus is on community safety. We’re attempting to help flatten the curve and an open fire ban helps contribute to social distancing” because firefighters would have less interaction with citizens.

The prohibition on bonfires and burning yard waste went into effect on April 1 and will last indefinitely as the fire department shifts its focus to providing only essential servicesin response to the coronavirus outbreak.