Burn Bans and Permits

Planning a campfire or outdoor burn? Before you light a fire, check the current burn conditions and make sure you're following the City's open-air burning rules.

What do the burn levels mean?

What is Open-Air Burning?

Open burning or open-air burning means any fire or burning practice that is conducted outside a building and includes but is not limited to:

• small confined fires (e.g. campfires)
• large confined fires
• burn barrels
• air curtain incinerators
• outdoor recreational fireplaces (e.g. fire pits, fire bowls, fire rings, chimineas, etc.)
• prescribed burning
• construction site and demolition site fires.

Kawartha Lakes By-Law 2016-110 (download) outlines all open air burning regulations in the City. You must meet these requirements when burning.

Clean dry wood is the only material that may be burned. Painted or treated wood, leaves, grass clippings, garbage and other materials may not be burned

Fires must:

• be supervised by an adult at all times
• fully extinguished at the completion of a burn event
• have good weather conditions for clearing smoke
• have equipment for controlling and extinguishing fires at the burn location

Fires cannot be lit:

• during burn bans
• during the month of April, this annual burn ban may be extended due to dry weather conditions
• during smog alerts
• when wind causes unsafe conditions

Flying lanterns may not be sold or used within the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Learn Before You Burn

Whether you are having a recreational campfire or open-air burn on your property, you could be invoiced/fined if you are:

• Burning without a permit where required
• Burning during the month of April or any other city-wide imposed burn ban
• Burning anything other than natural wood/brush
• Burning too close to combustibles/property boundaries and roadways
• Not following other sections of the by-law

Remember, if Kawartha Lakes Fire Rescue Service is called and no authorization has been obtained, you are liable to pay service fees for the response and/or charged under the Kawartha Lakes By-Law 2016-110 (download) or both. The Consolidated Fees Bylaw (download) provides further cost information.

Regardless of authorization, the person that starts the fire is responsible for any effect that fire or smoke may have on neighbouring persons or property.

Campfires (no permit required)

A person may have an open fire without obtaining a permit for the purpose of burning clean dry wood provided the conditions below are met, and/or providing no other City-wide or provincial burn bans are in effect:

• The fire area is no larger than 60cm (2 feet) in diameter;
• The fire area is supervised at all times by an adult person;
• The fire area is within an approved area, or pit designed for said use;
• The fire area does not violate any other laws, by-laws, rules or regulations including rules or regulations passed by any competent authority or otherwise set out in this By-law;
• The fire area shall be a minimum of fifteen 15m from any building or other structures and 5m from any fences, trees brush piles or combustible materials and property lines.
• Clean dry wood is the only material that may be burned. Painted or treated wood, leaves, grass clippings, garbage and other materials may not be burned.
• Burning is not permitted during the month of April or during any other city-wide imposed burn ban.

Burn Barrels (no permit required)

A burn barrel is not to be used in a built up area. As defined by By-law 2016-110 “built up area” means an area with buildings on one or both sides of the road with 23 metres or less between them with a minimum grouping of five buildings.  Building means school, church, residential dwelling, commercial and industrial structure.

Burn barrels are permitted under the following conditions (no permit required):

• Barrel must be constructed of metal and be in good condition
• A heavy duty screen with mesh not greater than 7mm is placed on top of the barrel
• Draft holes at the bottom of the barrel are no larger than 2.5cm in diameter
• Steel rods or pipe must be placed through the holes to hold burning material up and allow a fast burn
• The ground must be cleared and free of vegetation in a 2 metre radius around the barrel
• The fire area must be supervised at all times by an adult person
• The fire area shall be a minimum of 15m from any building or other structures and 5m from any fences, trees brush piles or combustible materials and property lines.
• Clean dry wood or brush is the only material that may be burned. Painted or treated wood, leaves, grass clippings, garbage and other materials may not be burned.
• Burning is not permitted during the month of April or during any other city-wide imposed burn ban.

Natural Gas and Propane Appliances

The by-law does not apply to propane or gas fuelled barbecues, grills, cooking appliances or gas fireplaces approved for outdoor use by the Technical  Standards and Technical Safety Authority of Ontario (T.S.S.A.) or other approval agency and listed by ULC or CSA.

• They are not permitted on some apartment balconies or in condominium complexes (check your building's rules)
• Be sure to review and follow all safety precautions noted with the unit
• These appliances may be used during an imposed burn ban
• They do not produce smoke or odours that irritate neighbours