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What you should know when burning leaves or debris

August 17, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

If you are living on a rural property and want to have a fire to dispose of debris, there are some things you should know.

In Ontario, outdoor fires are regulated under the Forest Fires Prevention Act.

The only material that can be burned without a fire permit is grass, leaves, wood, brush, and discarded wood by-products. You should check with the local municipal office or fire department to find out if you need municipal permission to burn.

It is recommended that you compost or chip your yard and wood waste rather than burn, but if you must burn, you should follow the recommended safety tips.

You should burn during a safe time. This means during the coolest, dampest, and calmest time of day, usually two hours before sunset or later. A fire is more likely to get out of control on a hot, dry, or windy day.

Put fires out no later than two hours after sunrise or earlier.

Keep your fire small to avoid problems. A small fire can be controlled by one person using hand tools and water. Keep your pile of wood, brush, or wood by-products less than two metres in diameter and less than two metres high.

Burning piles should be kept at least two metres from other flammable materials.

If burning an area of grass or leaves, ensure the area is surrounded by a fire-proof boundary such as a road, wet ditch or plowed ground.

If you start a fire outdoors, you must tend the fire, keep it under control and extinguish it before leaving the site. A responsible adult must always be present to tend to the fire at all times.

Keep adequate tools and water on hand to control the fire if it begins to spread.

If you start a fire, you are responsible for it.

Coals can smoulder for hours, and hot embers and sparks can be blown by the wind. When extinguishing a fire, soak hot coals thoroughly and stir them until they are cold to the touch.

Applying these safety precautions to the next time you light a fire could make the difference in preventing a disaster.

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