Forest Fire Season Questions & Answers
Permit To Burn – Conditions
Check the provincial Fire Hazard Map – Forecast and Fire Hazard Map – Actual to determine the forest fire hazard in your region when planning an outdoor fire.
- A Permit to Burn is required to burn brush and other materials during Forest Fire Season.
- Permit holders are required to conduct all burning activity in accordance with strict conditions.
- A Permit to Burn can be obtained by contacting a local Forestry and Wildlife District Office during regular business hours.
- When the Fire Hazard rating is HIGH, VERY HIGH, or EXTREME for a region, all Permits to Burn for that region are suspended.
- When the Fire Hazard rating is VERY HIGH, or EXTREME for a region, open or outdoor fires are NOT PERMITTED.
- A person may light an open or outdoor fire within 300 meters of forested land without a Permit to Burn during Forest Fire Season under the following conditions:
- The fire is located in a prepared site within a managed park that has facilities to contain open fires, fire suppression equipment available, and permission from the park supervisor or attendant.
- The fire is on sand, gravel, rock or mineral soil where the fire is not greater than 0.5m (0.25m2) in width and height, located one meter from flammable material, and three meters away from overhanging branches, with eight litres of water or a shovel available at all times.
- The fire is in an outdoor wood burning unit that:
- Is made completely of non-combustible material;
- Completely contains the fire and is screened to prevent the escape of sparks and burning debris; and
- Is resting on legs and placed on non-combustible material of not less than 1.5 square meters, and is located not less than 3.5 meters from flammable material.
- The fire is contained in an incinerator unit that:
- Completely contains the fire and is screened to prevent the escape of sparks and other burning material;
- Is located on private property and is not less than 15 meters away the nearest woods, brush or other flammable material; and
- Is in good working order, with an attendant on site when the Fire Weather Index is HIGH, VERY HIGH, or EXTREME.
- All ashes must be extinguished before discarding on mineral soil not less than 15 meters from the nearest wood, brush or other flammable material.
- All open fires must be attended at all times, whether the fire is contained in a prepared camp site or prepared in a charcoal, gas, kerosene, alcohol, or propane-operated unit or outdoor wood-burning unit.
- Always have sufficient water and other tools on site to extinguish a fire. Never leave the fire location until the fire has been completely extinguished.
- Use of gas, kerosene, alcohol, propane or charcoal-burning units is permitted regardless of the Fire Weather Hazard rating, as long as the units are not used within 3.5 metres of any woods, brush or other flammable material.
- All coals used during barbecuing, or as part of any other burning unit, must be totally extinguished before being discarded. When discarding coals, do so in a manner that will not start a fire.
- In accordance with provincial Forest Fire Regulations anyone travelling through forest land on an all-terrain or motorized vehicle during the Forest Fire Season is required to have the vehicle fitted with a muffler and a screening or baffling device to prevent sparks or particles of burnt carbon from escaping. Operators are required to be equipped with a fire extinguisher containing a minimum of 225 grams of ABC-class fire retardant.