Burning permits become unavailable until at least May
Jesse Bonello - Staff Writer
Fire season is officially underway in northwestern Ontario as of April 1, but the Municipality of Sioux Lookout announced that burning permits for this season won’t be available until at least May 1.
In a notice posted on their Facebook page the Municipality announced, “The Municipality of Sioux Lookout will not be selling burning permits for this season until at least May 1, 2020.”
“If you purchased a burning permit last year, you may continue using it under the same conditions/rules under which it was purchased last season, through April 30, 2020,” the notice read.
Sioux Lookout Fire Chief Rob Favot told The Bulletin burning permits are required to burn brush and grass.
“As of April 1, we follow the Forest Fire Prevention Act plus we have by-law 11-04. It’s entailed that burning starts two hours before sunset and has to be out two hours after sunrise. You must have a fire permit,” said Favot
“If you’re going to be burning any piles of brush you require a burning permit. If you have an incinerator in your backyard, you require a burning permit. With the burning permit comes the sunrise and sunset times, so that gives you the option to when you can start burning and when it has to be out. Also, with the permit comes a set of regulations that you follow when you’re burning. Some of the regulations are the piles of fire have to be in a single pile less than two metres in diameter and less than two metres high. It should be at least two metres away from any flammable material. It (the fire) has to be attended by a person with adequate tools or water to contain the flames, and it has to be extinguished before you leave the fire… With incinerators it’s the same regulations,”
he explained.
Residents that don’t possess a burn permit, or don’t follow the proper rules and regulations, will be subject to fines and additional costs.
“Fines range from $105 up to $155 if you don’t have a permit, if you’re not attending a fire, or the piles don’t comply. Any time you light a fire you’re responsible for that fire so, if it gets away, you’re going to be liable for the costs to put that fire out, whether it’s the fire department responding or if the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry respond. You’re going to be subject to a fine plus the cost to put that fire out,” said Favot.
For more information, go to www.ontario.ca/page/outdoor-fire-rules-and-permits.