Residential Burning
- March 15 to April 15
- October 15 to November 15
Read the Entire Bylaw: CVRD Bylaw No. 3716 1.
Reporting Burning Complaints
To report burning of construction debris, garbage and other prohibited materials:
Anytime – Call the BC Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers & Polluters (RAPP) Line at 1-877-952-7277.
To report Backyard Burns:
For backyard burning in CVRD Electoral Areas, contact CVRD Bylaw Enforcement at 250-746-2500.
Backyard Burning (Category 2 Open Fire)
- burns material in one pile not exceeding 2 meters (6 feet) in height and 3 meters (10 feet) in width; or,
- burns material concurrently in 2 piles each not exceeding 2 meters (6 feet) in height and 3 meters (10 feet) in width; or,
- burns stubble or grass over an area that does not exceed 0.2 hectares (less than 2,000 square meters / 6,500 square feet); or,
- is not a campfire.
Read A Guide to Category 2 Open Fires
The following materials must not be included with debris that is open burned:- Tires
- Treated lumber
- Plastics
- Railway ties
- Drywall
- Manure
- Demolition waste
- Rubber
- Domestic waste
- Asphalt and asphalt products
- Paint
- Hazardous waste
- Fuel and lubricant containers
- Tar paper
- Biomedical waste
Burn Barrels
Burn barrels have been included under Category 2 open fires and are therefore subject to the Category 2 open burning restrictions.
Burn barrels should be located well away from buildings and other combustible items. Burn barrels should have proper ventilation, screens and should never be left burning unattended.
Campfires
Under the Wildfire Regulation a Campfire means an open fire that burns piled material no larger than 0.5 meters (1 1/2 feet) in diameter. A campfire must have a clear firebreak at least 1 meter (3 feet) around the fire.
Outdoor Stove / Propane Campfires
An outdoor stove is a device that uses liquid or gaseous fuel, or briquettes, and is manufactured for the purpose of heating or cooking. It does not include a fire vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building.
A portable campfire apparatus is a free standing fireplace that burns liquid or gaseous fuel designed to provide ambiance and heat. The flame is usually open to the elements but may have grating to assist with cooking food. During campfire prohibitions, only CSA or ULC approved portable campfire devices may be used and flame length must not exceed 15 centimeters (6 inches).
Agricultural Burning
Reporting Burning Complaints
To report burning of construction debris, garbage and other prohibited materials:
Anytime – Call the BC Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers & Polluters (RAPP) Line at 1-877-952-7277.
To report illegal land clearing Burns:
(CVRD Electoral Area C, D and E West) contact CVRD Bylaw Enforcement Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm at 250-746-2500.
To report a wildfire:
Call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cellular phoneAgricultural Burning
- Brush, stumps and roots;
- Grass stubble;
- Orchard prunings;
- Diseased crop materials;
- Spoiled hay and straw;
Agricultural open burning of weeds, foliage, leaves, crops or stubbles is exempt from the current Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. However, open burning of piled land-clearing debris, as well as orchard prunings, must be in compliance with the regulation.
A person who carries out open burning on a parcel of land is exempt section 6 (2), (3) and (4) of the Environmental Management Act if:- The debris is open burned on the parcel of land from which it originated;
- Substances which normally emit dense smoke or noxious odours, and those prohibited materials set out in Schedule A of the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation, are not included with debris that is open burned;;
- Every reasonable alternative for reducing, reusing or recycling debris has been pursued to minimize the amount of debris to be open burned;
- An open burning ban by a fire protection agency having jurisdiction, a municipality or an improvement district is not in effect;
- The open burning complies with any applicable municipal, regional district or improvement district bylaw or portion of bylaw that has the effect of being more restrictive than this regulation;
- When required, a burning permit issued under the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act or under municipal, regional district or improvement district bylaw has been obtained;
- The open burning is conducted in accordance with the Forest Practices Code of British Columbia Act;
- The open burning is conducted in accordance with the conditions set out in section 3;
- The open burning is conducted in accordance with the Open Burning Smoke Control Code of Practice in Schedule B; and
- Before starting the open burning, the person confirms that no public notice suspending the exemptions has been issued under section 4.
- Tires
- Treated lumber
- Plastics
- Railway ties
- Drywall
- Manure
- Demolition waste
- Rubber
- Domestic waste
- Asphalt and asphalt products
- Paint
- Hazardous waste
- Fuel and lubricant containers
- Tar paper
- Biomedical waste
Favourable weather for smoke dispersion
- Unless otherwise specified for smoke
management purposes in a Ministry of Forests and Range
burning permit or in a burn plan approved by the Ministry of
Forests and Range, open burning of debris must not be
initiated unless the ventilation index is forcast as:
- “good” for the day the open burn is to be started, and
- “good” or “fair” on the second day the debris is anticipated to release smoke.
Read the current Air Quality Health Index - If the ventilation index required by subsection (1) is not publicly available, a person who proposes to open burn debris must conduct a test burn, lasting no more than 60 minutes, of sufficient debris on the site to evaluate the weather conditions so as to ensure that smoke from any subsequent open burning, initiated on the same day as the test burn, will not negatively impact on a nearby population or cause pollution.
- Open burning of debris must not be initiated if the local air flow will cause the smoke to negatively impact on a nearby population or cause pollution.
- Unless otherwise exempted for smoke management purposes by a Ministry of Forests and Range burning permit or in a burn plan approved by the Ministry of Forests and Range, open burning of debris must not be initiated if atmospheric mixing at the site where the debris is to be burned is insufficient to provide rapid dispersion of the smoke.
Read the Farm Practices Burning Information for more information.
Industrial Burning
Reporting Burning Complaints
To report burning of construction debris, garbage and other prohibited materials:
Anytime – Call the BC Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers & Polluters (RAPP) Line at 1-877-952-7277.
To report illegal land clearing Burns:
(CVRD Electoral Area C, D and E West) contact CVRD Bylaw Enforcement Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm at 250-746-2500.
To report a wildfire:
Call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cellular phoneIndustrial Burning (Category 3 Open Fire)
- Material concurrently in three or more piles each not exceeding 2 metres (6 feet) in height and 3 metres (10 feet) in width; or
- Material in one or more piles each exceeding 2 metres (6 feet) in height or 3 metres (10 feet) in width; or
- One or more windrows; or
- Stubble or grass over an area exceeding 0.2 hectares (more than 2,000 square metres / 6,500 square feet).
Anyone who lights, fuels or makes use of a Category 3 open fire must comply with the Environmental Management Act and Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation. The Regulation requires individuals to check local venting conditions prior to ignition and to ensure that no air quality burning bans are in place.
The following materials must not be included with debris that is open burned:- Tires
- Treated lumber
- Plastics
- Railway ties
- Drywall
- Manure
- Demolition waste
- Rubber
- Domestic waste
- Asphalt and asphalt products
- Paint
- Hazardous waste
- Fuel and lubricant containers
- Tar paper
- Biomedical waste
Favourable weather for smoke dispersion
- Unless otherwise specified for smoke
management purposes in a Ministry of Forests and Range
burning permit or in a burn plan approved by the Ministry of
Forests and Range, open burning of debris must not be
initiated unless the ventilation index is forcast as:
- “good” for the day the open burn is to be started, and
- “good” or “fair” on the second day the debris is anticipated to release smoke.
Read the current Air Quality Health Index - If the ventilation index required by subsection (1) is not publicly available, a person who proposes to open burn debris must conduct a test burn, lasting no more than 60 minutes, of sufficient debris on the site to evaluate the weather conditions so as to ensure that smoke from any subsequent open burning, initiated on the same day as the test burn, will not negatively impact on a nearby population or cause pollution.
- Open burning of debris must not be initiated if the local air flow will cause the smoke to negatively impact on a nearby population or cause pollution.
- Unless otherwise exempted for smoke management purposes by a Ministry of Forests and Range burning permit or in a burn plan approved by the Ministry of Forests and Range, open burning of debris must not be initiated if atmospheric mixing at the site where the debris is to be burned is insufficient to provide rapid dispersion of the smoke.
Read A Guide to Category 3 and Resource Management Open Fires for more information.