Debate on backyard fires heating up again
As city hall prepares once again to consider possible restrictions on backyard fires, a new report suggests the city’s scant regulations stand out as unusual.
The City of Saskatoon report notes that compared to 23 other Canadian municipalities, Saskatoon appears to apply the fewest restrictions.
The city’s outdoor fire bylaw restricts what material can be burned and what sort of container must be used; it also prohibits fires where smoke creates a nuisance.
Open-air fires are banned outright or require a permit from the fire chief in 15 of the 23 municipalities surveyed. Others restrict such fires to certain hours and require a certain distance from nearby structures.
“Establishing a permit system for open air fires would provide the Saskatoon Fire Department an opportunity to inspect a firepit ensuring all elements of the bylaw are met with respect to the construction of a pit used for burning wood,” says the report, written by assistant fire chief Wayne Rodger.
The report suggests such a permit could cost $90, based on the current fire inspection fee. Firepits have come under increased scrutiny due to concerns over the threat smoke poses to some with respiratory troubles and to the environment.
Among the 23 cities, Winnipeg comes closest to Saskatoon’s lack of restrictions, but Winnipeg restricts outdoor fires to a distance of three metres from structures, fences, trees and overhead wires. Edmonton has similar rules regarding the three-metre distance.
Regina prohibits fires between 1 a.m. and noon, while Calgary limits them to between 10 a.m. and midnight and allows longer hours on weekends.
Some municipalities, like Gatineau, Que., allow open fires but include large distance requirements that would preclude use on most residential lots.
The report suggests the committee consider three options: Limiting firepit use to certain times, introducing a permit for open fires and setting a cut-off date to obtain permits. City council’s planning, development and community services committee is expected to consider the report on Monday.
Restricting fires to between the hours of 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. would synchronize the hours with the city’s noise bylaw, the report suggests.
In 2016, the fire department received 192 complaints and issued 10 warning tickets. Several locations were the subject of more than one complaint, including one property that accounted for 10 complaints. Most complaints, 138, were directed at distinct locations.
The fire department found 62 instances of improper materials being burned and 38 instances of a fire receptacle in violation of the rules. Only seasoned wood and charcoal are allowed; burning plastics, garbage and animal carcasses is prohibited.
People violating the city’s rules for burning can face a first-time fine of $250. In 2008, council defeated an attempt to impose a midnight curfew for backyard fires.