Burning and Burn Permits

 General open air burns

General Open Air Fire Permits will not be issued to properties located within the Port Perry Urban area, a hamlet or a residential cluster.

General burning shall not be started earlier than one-half hour before sunrise and must be extinguished one-half hour before sunset.

General open air burning is for burning brush and wood. General open air burn sites must:

• Be a maximum of 1 m³ (3ft by 3ft by 3ft) in size.
• Be at least 15 m (50 ft) away from any structure, trailer, tent, flammable source, overhead wire, fence lines, trees, brush piles, property lines or combustible material of any nature whatsoever that could be ignited by flame, sparks or heat radiating from said fire.
• Be at least 15 m (50 ft) away from flammable vegetation in all directions.
• Have a means to extinguish the fire.
• Be attended by a capable adult at all times.

 Recreational burns

Recreational burns are small campfires for burning wood for recreational purposes. This type of burning is allowed between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight.

Recreational burn sites must:

• Have a base size no larger than sixty (60) centimeters in diameter.
• Be at least 5 m (16.5 ft) away from any structure, trailer, tent, flammable source, overhead wire, fence lines, trees, brush piles, property lines or combustible material of any nature whatsoever that could be ignited by flame, sparks or heat radiating from said fire.
• Have a means to extinguish the fire.
• Be attended by a capable adult at all times.
• Be extinguished by midnight.

Agricultural burns

Agricultural burning permits can be issued to registered farms that are required to burn as part of their "normal farming practices". 

Agricultural burn permit applications are approved on a case-by-case basis, and typically require a site visit to inspect the burn site. 

Agricultural burning must adhere to the following provisions:

• The size of the burn may be no larger than 5 m in diameter by 5 m high.
• Only one pile is permitted to be burned at a time. 

• Burning is allowed between the hours of one half hour after sunrise until one half hour of sunset.

• Burning is allowed only when a competent adult (18 years of age or older) is present to supervise the fire.

• A means of extinguishment must be at the fire at all times (i.e. direct access to water, tractor, excavator, etc).
• Burning must be located 30 m from any structure, trailer, tent, flammable source, overhead wire, fence lines, trees, brush piles, property lines, or combustible nature.
• Flammable vegetation within 30 m radius of fire shall be cleared.
• Fires are not permitted which cause smoke or fire damage to any property and/or decrease visibility or create a hazard on any public or private roadway.
• No fires are permitted when weather conditions limit the rapid dissipation of smoke; during dry or arid conditions or when weather conditions could create a fire hazard or during a smog advisory or alert.

• This burn permit allows for the burning of wood and/or brush only. No building or demolition materials, petroleum products, plastic, rubber, household garbage, materials normally collected under the recycling and yard waste collection programs, or any other material that may cause toxic or excessive smoke or odour is permitted.

Oversize burns

An oversize open air fire may be permitted at the discretion of the Fire Chief, where such open air fire is to be located on lands that are a minimum of ten (10) acres in size, and the applicant has entered into a written agreement with the Fire Chief.

In addition to the general restrictions of the Open-Air Burning By-Law, oversize burning must adhere to the following conditions:

• No fire shall cause smoke damage or fire damage to any property.
• No fire shall decrease visibility or create a hazard on any public or private roadway.
• Material must be burned in one pile that is less than 25 metres square and less than 5 metres high.
• The fire shall be a minimum of thirty (30) meters from any structure, trailer, tent, flammable source, overhead wire, fence lines, trees, brush piles, property lines or combustible material of any nature whatsoever that could be ignited by flame, sparks or heat radiating from said fire.
• All flammable vegetation or materials within a 30 metre radius of the fire shall be cleared.
• The person to whom the Permit is issued or another responsible person identified in the Permit shall tend to the fire until it is extinguished.
• No fire shall be started earlier than one-half hour before sunrise and must be extinguished one-half hour before sunset.
• No other Provincial or Township burn bans are in effect. 
• No person shall burn any material that is normally collected under the Municipality’s garbage, blue box or yard waste collection programs.

 Bans

Scugog Fire and Emergency Services will issue a burn ban when there is very dry weather or poor air quality in the community. A spring burn ban is imposed annually. This ban is put in place to allow time for dead grass and brush to turn green again following a dormant period over the winter. Though the ground may be saturated, or still frozen, the dead vegetation can burn easily and fire can spread rapidly. This ban is important for the protection of people, property and first responders. 

Burn ban notices will appear on our website and in the local media. The notice will let you know which types of burning are banned. These burn bans are for your safety and we ask that you follow them.

Under Part 4 Enforcement and Penalties of the Open-Air Burning By-law 32-18, those having a fire during a burn ban can be charged under the Provincial Offences Act and will also be responsible for the costs of all work performed

There is not currently a burn ban in effect.

To subscribe to burn ban alerts, please visit our Township news subscription page.  

 Limitations

Please note that only wood and/or brush are to be burned. As per the Open-Air Burning by-law, no person shall burn any material that is normally collected under the municipality's garbage, blue box or yard waste collection programs. Furthermore, no person shall burn petroleum products, plastic, rubber, household garbage, building material, demolition material or wood by-products.

Complaints

Be a good neighbour and make sure that smoke from your burn is not drifting on to others' property. Your neighbours have a right to complain about your burn if the smoke is causing an issue on their property.

If you need to file a burn complaint, please dial 9-1-1 to reach our dispatch and it will be addressed accordingly.