Open Air Burning

* Please note, as of April 24, 2020, there is a modified open air burning ban in place.

Modified Burn Ban Information

As of Friday, April 24, 2020, the County of Brant will modify the open air burning ban.

“Recreational fires and permitted burns will be allowed given required safety measures are in place,” said Fire Chief Geoff Hayman. “We want to continue to protect the health and safety of our Firefighters. We need you to do your part to safely contain and extinguish the fire to prevent unnecessary calls to the Fire Department.”

For those who have access to urban yard waste collection; you will not be allowed to burn yard waste. Please use the collection services. For more information about urban yard waste collection services, visit www.brant.ca/YardWaste.

Recreational burning is permitted with no call or fee required, when:

The fire is contained in a fire pit which is no more than one square meter in area
The fire is at least 15 meters from any building, structure, hedge, fence, roadway and/or property line

Agricultural related open air burning, including brush, fence row cleanup and disposal of orchard waste must be approved by the Fire Chief at least three days in advance of the occasion. Please contact us for more information.

If you are going to have a fire make sure the weather conditions are appropriate and wind speed does not exceed 15 kilometres per hour. Please be considerate of your neighbours and surrounding properties.

Although recreational fires will be permitted, remember to stay home and do your part to keep our community healthy. For the community’s well-being, the Ontario Provincial Police and County of Brant Bylaw Enforcement teams are monitoring to ensure people are not gathering. The concerted efforts from the public to practice physical distancing and staying home is saving lives in our community. Thank you!

For more information, contact County of Brant Fire Administration at 519.442.4500 or visit www.brant.ca/OpenAirBurning.

Open air burning is regulated in the County of Brant by our Open Air Burning Bylaw.

Cooking Fires

Small, confined fires that are supervised at all times and used to cook food on a grill or barbecue are permitted in the County of Brant, with no call or fee required.

Recreational Burning

Recreational burning is permitted with no call or fee required, when:

The fire is contained in a fire pit which is no more than one square meter in area
The fire is at least 15 meters from any building, structure, hedge, fence, roadway and/or property line

Tips on recreational fires

Planning to have a campfire this weekend?
Your friendly County of Brant Firefighters have put together a few tips to keep you safe! Check out our Open Air Burning infographic.

The campfire site:

Find a spot that is sheltered from the wind
Build your fire on a non-combustible surface. Preferably in a metal ring or surrounded by stones or blocks
Build your fire at least 15 metres away from any combustible materials, fences, property lines or buildings
Make sure the space above the fire is at least 3 metres from overhanging branches and vegetation

Prepare the site:

Clear a space about 2 metres wide for the fire
Scrape the area right down to the mineral soil
Ensure you have a pail of water or garden hose, and a shovel to control the fire

Build your campfire:

Keep your fire small to a maximum of one metre high and one metre wide
Small fires are safer, easier to control and put out
A small fire will also keep cooking tools from blackening and let you get close enough to cook

Stay nearby:

Never leave a fire unattended
You are responsible for tending your campfire, ensuring it is kept under control, and for putting it out

Put the fire out:

Pour lots of water on the campfire
Stir the ashes with a stick
Pour more water over top of the campfire
Stir the ashes with a stick again
Repeat until:
- the ashes are cold to the touch
- the ashes don’t hiss
- the ashes look soaked
- no more smoke comes from the ashes

Safety tips for kids:

Always ensure children are with an adult when they are around a fire
Always make sure small children are at least 1m away from the fire
Never allow children to play with matches or fireworks
Teach your children to tell an adult immediately if they see a fire burning out of control

Non-Recreational Residential/Agricultural Burning

Open air burning that does not meet the criteria of recreational burning must be approved by the Fire Chief. Contact us to get approval.

Non-Recreational Single Occasion Permit

Large farm-type fires, brush/ ginseng shades/ kilns must be approved by the Fire Chief. Contact us to get approval and pay the fee at least three days in advance of the occasion.

Commercial, Industrial, Institutional, Burning Semi-Annual Permit

You can apply for a semi-annual permit to burn materials for commercial, industrial and/or institutional purposes. Contact us to apply for a permit and pay the fee.