Fire Permits
Fire permits are required year – round from January 1 until December 31 and are available from the County office, online or the following fire guardians:
- Gerald Ropcean (Pembina) Ph: (780) 727-3877
- Ted Bustin (Tomahawk) Ph: (780) 339-3739
- Jeff Wiggins (Wabamun) Ph: (780) 892-2183
- Susan Evans (Seba Beach) Ph: (780) 797-3863
- Milt Goebel (Duffield) Ph: (780) 892-2473
- Ed Gamble (Muir Lake) Ph: (780) 963-5323
- Ed Huber (Spruce Grove) Ph: (780) 962-2666
- Ed Steiger (Devon) Ph: (780) 987-3718
- Rick Dittmer (Golden Spike) Ph: (780) 963-1368
- Gavin Miller (Keephills) Ph: (780) 731-3941
Fire Permits obtained on-line are free of charge. Permits issued from the County office or fire guardians are available for:
10 Days - $2.00
30 Days - $3.00
90 Days - $7.00
Burning Regulations & Tips
The fire must be set at the time and place indicated on the permit.
The number of fires set at one time and minimum equipment needed may be specified on the permit.
A fire permit is a legal document, which conditionally authorizes a person to burn wood debris at a time specified on the permit. By obtaining a fire permit you have simply indicated your wish to burn. The responsibility for conducting a safe burn is yours.
Burning shall be done in compliance with the Forest and Prairie Protection Act (Supra). The regulations made there under and the following conditions:
- Permittee is responsible for the safe control of the burning herein authorized;
- Winds less than 20 km per hour; (For Weather Information Phone 468-4940)
- A minimum of one (1) adult must be in attendance at all times;
- Sufficient tools, equipment and quantities of water must be readily available for the size of burn being conducted;
- If burning is within ½ kilometer of a primary or secondary highway the Permittee is responsible to post appropriate “Smoke” signs along the primary or secondary highway subject to approval of the Operations Manager of Alberta Infrastructure (Ph: 963-5711)
- Permittee must remove or notify appropriate agency/ person to remove smoke signs when burn is completed or permit expires.
- Consideration must be given to neighbors as to avoid physical discomfort as a result of burning.
- This Permit does not authorize burning of prohibited debris as defined by the Alberta Environmental Protection Enhancement Act.
Burning on Agricultural Land
Special regulations must be followed by those who have a fire permit to burn brush or debris after land clearing or other agricultural activities on private property. These are as follows:
- No fire shall be lit for broadcast burning of grass or stubble without first obtaining a fire permit.
- In preparation for burning, debris or windrows resulting from land clearing must be no more than 60 metres in length.
- The area being burned must be completely surrounded by a guard clear of inflammable material to a width of not less than 15 metres.
- No windrow may be nearer than 25 metres to uncleared land or standing fuels.
- Windrows must be separated from other parallel windrows by not less than 15 metres.
- Every fire must be controlled by a responsible person or persons approved by the fire guardian.
- The minimum amount of equipment at the fire site includes:
- One axe
- Two round mouth shovels
- One water backpack and hand pail or four heavy sacks, and;
- One barrel of at least 200 litres of water
When A Fire Permit is Not Required:
- A Barbecue/Fire Pit provided that:
- A minimum of 3 metres clearance from buildings, property lines and combustible material is maintained;
- It is constructed of bricks or concrete blocks, heavy gauge metal or other suitable non-combustible components;
- It has a spark arrestor mesh screen of 7 mm (.25 inches) expanded metal (or equivalent) to contain sparks over the fire at all times;
- The fire is supervised at all times by a responsible adult until such time that the fire has been extinguished;
- Only wood, charcoal briquettes, propane or natural gas fuels are used; and
- Flame height does not exceed 90 cm (3.28 feet above the bbq/fire pit.
- For a fire within a non-combustible container provided by the County within a designated public park where burning for cooking and warming is permitted.
- A portable appliance (which means any appliance sold or constructed for the purpose of cooking food in the out of doors).
- A smudge fire in a non-combustible container covered with a heavy gauge metal screen having a mesh size not larger than 7 mm.
- An incinerator fire in a non-combustible container covered with a heavy gauge metal screen having a mesh size not larger than 7 mm.
- The bylaw does not apply to any industrial or commercial type incinerators that is required to be licensed under the Alberta Environment Protection and Enhancement Act.
- No burning is allowed without a permit in areas designated as Municipal or Environmental Reserve or in designated restricted burn areas.
Burning Household Garbage
Complaints are frequently received from County residents regarding the offensive odors caused by their neighbors burning habits. Currently, the County allows the use of burning barrels, but only for the disposal of BURNABLE DEBRIS, as defined by the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.
“Burnable Debris” means all inflammable waste other than prohibited debris and includes, but is not limited to:
- Straw and stubble
- Grass, Weeds, Leaves and Tree Prunings
- Brush and fallen trees on newly cleared land or associated with logging operations
- Used power, telegraph and telephone poles that do not contain wood preservatives
- Wooden Materials from the construction or demolition of buildings that does not contain wood preservatives
- Solid Waste from tree harvesting operations
“Prohibited Debris” means any inflammable waste that, when burned may result in release of the dense smoke, offensive odors, or toxic substances, and includes, but is not limited to:
- Animal Manure
- Pathological Waste
- Non-Wooden Material
- Waste material from building or construction site containing wood preservatives
- Combustible material in automobile bodies
- Tires, rubber, plastic or anything containing or coated with rubber, plastic or similar substance, except rubber/plastic attached to shredded scrap steel
- Used Oil
- Wood or wood products containing substances for the purpose of preserving wood
Complaints regarding offensive odors from the burning of prohibited debris should be directed to Alberta Environment Pollution Control @ 1-800-222-6514