Open Air Fire Conditions

As per the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Bylaw No. 01/084 and unless modified by the permit issues (Fire Chief, SCO - Fire or Volunteer Fire Chief of a Hamlet), the following conditions shall apply to all open air fire permits, except those permits issued for recreational fires and fire pits as covered by GL 6/96.

• Open air fires shall not be used for the disposal of combustible waster other than clean dry wood and those other combustible produces defined as “Burnable Debris” in Section 2 of the bylaw.
• Disposal by open air burning of any other material defined as “Prohibited Debris” in Section 2 of the bylaw, will require written permission from Alberta Environmental Protection - Air Quality Control in addition to this permit.
• Open air burning for the disposal of brush resulting from clearing in locations near built-up residential areas shall be permitted upon compliance with the following conditions:

1. All materials to be burned originate from the Property for which the Fire Permit is issued, except as otherwise expressly provided for by the Fire Chief
2. Except as otherwise provided for in a non-salvageable timber, which has been allowed to dry for at least on year
3. Weather conditions immediately prior to and during the burning are such as to ensure smoke obscuration levels are maintained below 75 per cent of the specified
4. 24 hours average pursuant to the Canada-Wide Standards for Particulate Matter accepted by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
5. Except as otherwise provided for in this Bylaw, a competent person of 18 years of age or older, provided with adequate means of extinguishing the Fire, is on site to ensure Fire control and extinguishing of the fire within one hour of any weather change that may threaten levels of smoke obscuration and airborne particulate levels in excess of those referenced in
6. Where burning is limited to bush disposal, not closer than five kilometers to a residential community, and a coordinated plan outlining all details of the proposed burning (including Fire protection, particulate matter dispersal control and burn dates) has been submitted to the Fire Chief and reviewed relative to other permitted burning in the local are

• Written proof of ownership or written permission of the registered property owner shall be submitted at the time of application for permit.
• Fire Dispatch 780-743-7061 shall be notified immediately prior to the setting of any permitted open air fire. For fires in hamlets during normal business hours, where a contact office exists, the contact office shall be subject to this notification.

1. In addition, where specifically noted on the permit, the local environmental health authority 780-791-6078 will also be advised prior to the setting of any permitted open air fire.

• No fire shall be set or maintained when the current or forecast wind is deemed unsatisfactory by the permit issuer. (In general, a wind of 15mph or higher is considered unsatisfactory.)
• Permitted open air fires shall be attended at all times when the permit issuer deems the fire could spread, the smoke could result in an environmental or health hazard or public access to the site is unrestricted.
• Fire control measures, satisfactory to the permit issuer, shall be provided on the site at all times to offset any adverse climatic or fire control conditions that may develop and to put out the fire should the need arise.
• The fire shall be put out at the end of the permitted time and all reasonable steps taken to ensure complete extinguishment of the fire before leaving the site unattended.
• Additional conditions, specific to the open air fire permit issued as deemed necessary by the permit issuer, shall apply as stated on the permit.

Failure to comply with any of the above can result in suspension or cancellation of the permit. Costs for services required by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to extinguish or control a permitted fire shall be borne by the permit holder as specified in Section 8 of the Bylaw.

Download a permit application below:

Fire Prevention General Permit Application