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 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.
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 |
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* 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. All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes.
* Upon request for Accreditation or Licensing. All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes.
1 Preventable False Alarm Response Fee is chargeable to the owner of the property at which the alarm was activated, as defined in Section 1 of the Ontario Fire Code, O Reg 388/97 as amended, for every third and subsequent occurrence in a 12 month period, where fire department vehicles are dispatched, and it is determined by the fire department that the alarm was due to an improperly functioning alarm system. This shall not apply where the conditions were not within the control of the owner, including but not limited to, changes in atmospheric conditions, excessive vibrations, power failure, malicious actions of other of fluctuations of water pressure. 2 False Alarm Due to Failure to Notify Fee is chargeable to the owner of the property at which the alarm was activated, as defined in Section 1 of the Ontario Fire Code, O Reg 388/97 as amended, for each occurrence where fire department vehicles are dispatched to an activated fire alarm where it is determined by the fire department that the alarm was caused by either a test or repairs to the alarm system where the owner failed to notify their alarm system and/or the fire department. 3 Standby Charges apply when fire department vehicles and crews are requested to provide standby. The standby requests may include, but are not limited to, special events, businesses, or events that require rescue teams to be present. 4 Vehicle Accidents and Fires on Provincial Highways is a fee is chargeable to the Ministry of Transportation for all vehicle-accident, safety or fire related fire department services that occur on provincial highways. 5 Vehicle Accidents and Fires on All Other Roads or Property Fee is charged directly to the at fault owner/driver when the incident takes place on a Municipal or County road. 6 Propane Incident Response Fee is chargeable where the fire department determines that a propane incident has been caused directly by a person or company, who has failed to take reasonable precautions including getting a locate and following proper guidelines regarding digging around locates. 7 Consumable Material Costs will be recovered in addition to the hourly cost of fire department response for any response involving the containment or clean-up of a hazardous materials spill or for any response involving illicit drugs or marijuana grow operations. Costs will be billed to the owner or person in control of the pollutant(s). 8 Additional Fire Department Expenses are charged to the owner of a property to recovery actual costs where we are required to retain a private contractor or rent special equipment in order to preserve property or evidence or eliminate an emergency or risk. Examples include, but are not limited to, renting heavy machinery such as excavators, contracting security services to protect property or contracting the clean-up of hazardous materials or dangerous goods. Additional expenses that may be required to bring a fire under control that may be recovered as part of this by-law include the use of fire fighting foam, dry chemical extinguishing devices and any equipment or PPE damaged during operations. All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes. |
Burn bans
Any municipal or county-wide burn ban supersedes these rules. Burn bans will be prominently announced on this website.