Burning Permits and By-law

Total Fire Ban in Effect

A county-wide total fire ban is in effect, effective immediately. No burning of any kind is allowed due to extreme risk caused by temperatures higher than relative humidity.

Report illegal fires

If you see someone burning please call 911 or the Fire Chief at 705-448-2981 x428.

Coverage, restrictions and exceptions

The following is a summary of restrictions that are in place during this fire ban:

All open burn permits are suspended.
No fireworks are allowed.
No open air fires, not even for cooking or warmth. Campfires are not allowed.
Portable stoves must use liquid or gas fuel and have a shutoff valve.
Propane BBQs are allowed. Charcoal BBQs are not allowed.
Outdoor wood burning stoves or furnaces are permitted.

This burn ban supersedes the information that follows below on this on this page.

Small fires are permitted in most areas of Highlands East as long as the following rules are followed:

There is no daytime burning permitted during the fire season (April 1 to October 31) without a permit. Fires may take place only during the time from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Your fire can be no greater than 0.6 metres (approximately 24 inches) in diameter.
Your fire must be setback a minimum of 10 metres from any structure.
Only environmentally friendly materials may be burned.
The smoke from your fire cannot interfere with your neighbours or a roadway.
You must have sufficient tools and water available to put the fire out should the need arise.
You must be with your fire at all times.

Please read the Open Air Burning By-law for details. Email us or call 705-448-2981 x428 for more information.

Campfires

You may have a campfire during the day, using the same size restrictions and conditions listed above however it can only be used for cooking and warmth. It must be attended at all times.

Other fires need permits

All other fires need a permit. Please read the Open Air Burning By-law for details. Email us or call 705-448-2981 x428 for more information.

Apply for a permit online

Our offices remain closed to the public as a COVID-19 safety measure. Follow the steps below to apply for your Open Air Burning Permit:

Review our Open Air Burning By-law to make sure your planned burn is allowed. Email us or call 705-448-2981 x428 if you are not sure about something to do with your planned burn.
Use our online Open Air Burning Application form to submit your application details to us.
Once you have submitted your application, please pay your $50 application fee online. Your application will not be processed without this fee. Payment of this non-refundable fee does not guarantee that your application will be approved.

Apply Now

Once your application fee has been received, the Fire Chief will contact you to gather additional details and arrange a site inspection. It can take up to seven (7) days to process your application. You will be notified when your permit has been approved.

Fees

Fire Service Fees
Service	Fees
Fire Incident Report/File Search	$75 payable upon receipt of the report.
Fire Inspections	$75 payable before inspection.
Burning Permit*	$50 payable upon receipt of required information.
Responses to Motor Vehicle Accidents	Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. (Includes Motor Vehicle Fires, Motorized Snow Vehicles and All-Terrain Vehicles on any road or trail.)
Outdoor Burning Violation	Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call and/or appropriate fine from the Open Air Burning By-law applicable at time of call.
Fire Investigation (Cost Recovery)	Municipal and third party contractor fees involved with investigation.
False Alarms	Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call for each alarm after the second alarm in a twelve month period.

*Daytime Burning Permits are issued by the Fire Chief for an approved date and time for burns that exceed non-permit regulations. No permits are issued during Fire Bans. For more details on burning rules please see Burning Permits and By-Law.

Burn bans

Any municipal or county-wide burn ban supersedes these rules. Burn bans will be prominently announced on this website.