Burning Permits and By-law

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

Our offices remain closed to the public as a COVID-19 safety measure. Please use the options below to submit and pay for your open air burn permit. Once we have your payment and application it will be processed within five business days. You will be notified when your permit has been approved. By dropping it off After completing the Burn Permit Application bring it and your $50 cash or cheque payment to the Wilberforce Municipal Office at 2249 Loop Road and place it into the drop off box to the left of main doors. Be sure to seal and label your envelope Burn Permit Application. Online Complete and submit the Burn Permit Application by emailing it to us. Once you have emailed us your application, please make your payment with Plastiq. About Plastiq Online Credit Card Payments can be made by Credit Card using Plastiq, an online third party payment service provider. For a small convenience fee, Plastiq provides you the option to pay for your Burn Permit using your credit card. Making payments with the Plastiq system is similar to making any other online credit card payment By mail You can also mail us your Burn Permit Application. Send it to the Wilberforce Municipal Office at P.O. Box 295, Wilberforce, ON K0L 3C0. You can include a cheque for your $50 fee or make your payment with Plastiq.

Burn bans

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

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.