Amendments to the Foresty Act and Regulations came into effect June 3, 2026.
Associated regulatory changes include updated Forest Fire Offence and Penalty Regulations, Forest Fire Regulations and Mill Regulations.
Resource Enforcement Officers enforce forestry, inland fish and wildlife laws including the Forestry Act and fire-related regulations and the Off-Road Vehicles Act. An officer may issue a ticket or lay an information if they believe the Act or regulations have been violated.
- Ticket: States the penalty and results in a default conviction, unless contested by the individual. All the information required for a person to pay or contest a ticket is found on the ticket.
- Information: Lists the charge (or charges) a person (individual or company) must answer for in court. The time and date for the mandatory court appearance will be listed on the document. A person is presumed is not guilty and no penalty is imposed until a judge has heard the case and charges have been proven in court.
Penalties under the Forest Fire Offence and Penalty Regulations reflect the severity and risk of various types of unlawful activity.
The penalty for deliberately setting a fire now ranges from $100,000 to $500,000.
Minimum penalties of $50,000 now apply to high-risk activities including, but not limited to:
- Recklessly or negligently lighting or starting a forest fire.
- Lighting a fire without a proper Permit to Burn.
- Failing to comply with a ministerial order that prohibits fires.
- Lighting an outdoor fire when the Fire Weather Index is orange (very high risk) or red (extreme risk).
- Discharging fireworks or launching a sky lantern when the Fire Weather Index is yellow (high risk), orange (very high risk), or red (extreme risk).
- Leaving a fire unattended.
Penalties for other unlawful activities include:
- $5,000 to $10,000 for continuing to cut or remove trees, or to engage in an activity likely to cause a forest fire, after the operating permit has been suspended or cancelled.
- $1,000 to $5,000 for carrying out a logging or industrial operation on forest land without having obtained an operating permit.
- $1,000 to $5,000 for travelling through forest land on ATV or motorized vehicles not properly fitted with devices to prevent sparks or having the required fire extinguisher.
- $150 to $1,000 for storing or transporting gasoline or other flammable liquids on forest land in an inappropriate container.