It appears Environment Canada's recent prediction that this part of the province would experience hotter than normal temperatures and less precipitation this summer is coming true.
After a miserable start to the spring, the weather for nearly two weeks has been hot and dry on the west coast while much of the northeast and east coasts have been cool and damp.
The suddenly arid conditions are also evident in much of Labrador and that have brought a spate of trouble with forest fires.
One of those blazes — started by lightning strikes — is still burning after many days and has destroyed a large tract of wilderness.
It all begins to look like it could be a long dangerous summer where the threat of forest fires is concerned.
There is no guarantee these delightful conditions will continue — we are after all in Newfoundland — but if they do, residents will have to be extra mindful while in forested areas for work or recreation.
Schools are about to close and the cabin season will then be in full swing as families look to recharge and connect.
Thousands of people will be heading for their summer retreats and that will greatly increase the chances of causing a forest fire.
We don't hear much from Smokey Bear — the long-time icon of forest safety — these days, but his advice is as sensible today as it ever was. Everyone has to play a part in the fight to prevent a blaze that gets out of control and rages through tinder dry trees and communities.
We all love to see the sun shine for as many days as possible during our short Newfoundland summer, but there is a downside to those conditions and we all have to pitch in to prevent a disaster that ruins the fun for years to come.
As Smokey often says: "Only you can prevent forest fires."
