Open Burning Permit Instructions

By-law 2011-130
By-law 2001-173

Open air burning is not permitted in urban North Bay. This includes burning that uses devices such as chimineas, outdoor fire places, as well as open air burning of item such as leaves.

Open air burning is allowed in rural areas of North Bay, but only with a valid permit. A valid permit is required for use of chimineas or outdoor fireplaces in rural areas.

“Rural Zone” means the following zones as contained in the City of North Bay’s comprehensive zoning by-law: A, RRC, RRL, RME, RC, RMC, RN and associated Special Zones. The Rural Zone is further defined as containing all Holding (H) zones and O, O1, and O2 zones. If you are unsure or have questions regarding the status of your property, please contact the Fire Department at 474 5662.

You must obtain a permit prior to conducting any open-air burning. It can take up to a week for the application to be processed. A residential/campground permit costs $20.00 weekly or $80.00 annually. A commercial permit costs $85 weekly, $110 monthly, or $210 annually per site.

If you are not the property owner, you must obtain the owner’s permission in order to apply for a burning permit. You may complete the online application at any time, but final approval will be subject to submission of a completed Property Owner’s Permission to Burn Release & Indemnification form. Print this form and bring it in with your application.

Burning is only allowed in the rural areas of the city. This includes the use of Fire Pits, Outdoor Fireplaces and Chimineas. A burning permit is required for all of these.

Download the application form and guidelines below and bring them, along with payment to Fire Station 1, 119 Princess St West, during normal business hours.

Residential/Campground Permit Application Form
Guidelines for Chimineas, Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits

Open burning of brush or grass in not approved without a burning permit.

• Brush to be burned, must be in piles, maximum 6 ft (2m) high 6 ft (2m) in diameter and 20 ft (7m) between piles.
• Clean brush and vegetation only may be burned, NO trash, such as garbage, tires, plastics, roofing or other building materials.
• No less than two persons will be present al all times during burning operations with adequate firefighting equipment.
• You cannot burn within 20 m of a roadway, building, structure, hedge, fence, overhead wires, property line.
• You cannot burn on smog days or days in which a smog alert is issued.
• Burning is permitted only between ˝ hour before sunrise and ˝ hour after sunset
• Fire must not cause smoke or fire damage to property or injury to persons
• Fire must not decrease visibility or create a hazard on any roadway
• Weather conditions to be favorable for setting fires and dispersion of smoke

Each completed application for a Permit must be submitted to the North Bay Fire and Emergency Services accompanied by the appropriate fees as set out in the By-Law which authorizes User Fees for the North Bay Fire and Emergency Services.

The permit shall be kept at the site of the Open Air Fire with the permit holder.

A Permit may be refused, revoked or suspended at any time by the Chief Fire Official or his designate.

No person shall:

1. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire in contravention of the Fire Code, the Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990 c E.19 or any other statutory requirements of the Province of Ontario or the Government of Canada
2. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire without a Permit;
3. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire during a Fire Ban;
4. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire on days where rain, fog, smog, or any other weather condition prevents dispersion of smoke;
5. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire during high winds or high hazard weather ratings;
6. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire if it creates smoke or fire damage to a property or injury to persons;
7. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire if it decreases visibility or creates a hazard on any roadway; or
8. set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained, an Open Air Fire if it creates a nuisance.

RURAL BURNING ONLY

No person shall set, maintain, or cause to be set or maintained an Open Air Fire in an Urban Zone, as indicated in the attached "Schedule A" hereto.

All sites must be inspected by a Fire Prevention Officer. For more information, contact North Bay Fire & Emergency Services Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. by calling (705) 474-0626 ext. 4834.

There is a fee for these permits. The fee schedule is available at (705)474-0626 ext. 4834.

The Fire Code

In general, the regulation contained in the Ontario Fire Code addresses four fire safety issues:

• Fire separation for each dwelling unit
• Means of escape from each dwelling unit
• Smoke alarms
• Electrical safety

The owner has three options for compliance with the fire separation for dwelling units. Four options are provided for compliance with the means of escape from each dwelling unit.

Depending on the option selected for fire separation and means of escape, it may be necessary to install electrically wired, interconnected smoke alarms throughout the house. Where interconnected smoke alarms are not installed, every dwelling unit must be equipped with a battery operated or electrically wired smoke alarm on every level that contains a bedroom or sleeping area.

The owner is responsible for complying with the provisions of the Ontario Fire Code. You can read more about the provisions of the Ontario Fire Code by visiting the web site of the (Ontario) Office of the Fire Marshal at: http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/ or go directly to the entire Ontario Fire Code at: http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/english/Legislation/firecode/default.asp.

Fire Inspections

Inspections may be arranged by the Fire Prevention Division, 474-0626 ext. 4834.

When are fire inspections required/performed?

1. If there are reported complaints of potential hazards.
2. When a lawyer makes an inquiry (usually on transfer of land).
3. Upon Sale of Land
   • Sale of apartment buildings
   • Sale of residential building with basement apartments
   • Sale of a large multi-use buildings
4. If the building/complex is a special use facility.
   The following special use facilities require an annual inspection:
   • Vendors carts and mobile units
   • Daycare facilities (including home daycare)
   Special use facilities which must perform fire drills twice a year includes:
   • Hospitals
   • Nursing Homes
   • Special care facilities for the challenged
   • Schools