New permits for open burns help to reduce fire calls
Interest is heating up for Amherstburg when it comes to residents seeking a permit for a backyard campfire.
An open burn bylaw was approved by town council last January that allows residents to have small fires providing they have a permit and meet all the safety requirements. Amherstburg Fire Chief Bruce Montone gave council an update this week, noting there have been 242 applications for an open burn permit so far in 2018.
Of those, 144 have been approved. The permit costs $25. He expects the number of applications could double by midsummer. “I think weather is a big issue,” Montone said. “It was too cold to sit outside in March or April.” Under the old bylaw, only farmers and certain campgrounds were allowed to have an open burn. Whether to loosen the rules was a hot topic in Amherstburg last year and led to three public consultation meetings. Establishing a permit system has worked to lessen the number of complaints about an open burn and significantly reduce costs for department personnel who have to respond to the complaints. Last year, the fire department investigated 45 complaints at a cost of $16,176. So far this year, the department has spent just $1,008 investigating eight complaints. “The number of complaints is down which is what we wanted,” Montone said.
In order to get a permit, a site inspection must be done by a member of the Amherstburg Fire Service to ensure an applicant has enough property for a fire. “I think that’s been a little bit confusing,” Montone said. “People really don’t understand how much space you need around a campfire.” All the regulations regarding the various types of open burns allowed can be found on the town’s website at amherstburg.ca. A campfire must be located at least 15 metres from any building, fence, hedge, lot line, highway, overhead wiring or combustible material. That distance can be reduced to 10 metres if the campfire is surrounded by non-combustible material that’s a minimum 40 centimetres in height.
A resident is required to check with the Amherstburg campfire hotline prior to having a fire. The hotline for residents is 519730-2114.
Farmers planning an open air burn on rural property are still required to call Amherstburg’s Station 2 two hours prior at 519736-5733.