BEAVER EMERGENCY SERVICES COMMISSION

Burning in your Backyard

Within municipal areas (Towns, Villages and Hamlets) in Beaver County the burning of debris is not permitted. Municipal residents need to inquire with their municipality to verify if the resident is allowed to construct a fire pit or an approved burning device. Approved fire pits or burning devices are to be used only for recreational purposes and/or for cooking food.

The materials to be burned are restricted to:
• Cardboard and paper products example: Plain cardboard, all cardboard boxes must be broken down into smaller manageable pieces and paper products only. No colored or plastic coatings.
• Wood or wood products NOT containing preservatives, “clean”, untreated wood i.e. chopped wood or solid wood pieces from tree harvesting
• Leaves, twigs and small branches

ABSOLUTELY NO HOUSEHOLD OR OTHERWISE GARBAGE; AS IT MAY CONTAIN PROHIBITED DEBRIS!!!!

Construction guidelines are available here or at the Beaver Emergency Services offices.  If you have any questions on fire pit construction, please contact your local fire station.

A Fire Permit is not required to burn wood in an approved burning device. Burning is not allowed if when there is a Fire Ban.

Open burning in your backyard or burning in an unapproved  device can result in penalties from $500.00 to $5000.00.

Burning in Rural Areas

Outside of municipal areas, Beaver Emergency Services Commission allows the use of burning barrels, but only for the disposal of BURNABLE DEBRIS, as defined by the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. Properly prepared burn barrels with a mesh screen do not require fire permits. More information on burning barrels is available here or at the Beaver Emergency Services offices.

B.E.S.C. does not sanction the burning of household garbage, which contains PROHIBITED DEBRIS, as defined by the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

Beaver Emergency Services Commission cannot, through a By-Law, regulate or control the burning of prohibited debris as it is covered by the Provincial Act. B.E.S.C. does not have the authority to enforce the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

“Burnable Debris” means all inflammable waste other than prohibited debris and includes but is not limited to:

1. straw and stubble
2. grass and weeds
3. leaves and tree prunings
4. wooden materials, which do not contain wood preservatives, from the construction or demolition of buildings
5. brush and fallen trees on newly cleared land or associated with logging operations
6. used power, telegraph and telephone poles
7. solid waste from sawmills or planing mills with an annual production of less than 9500 cubic metres of lumber
8. that do not contain wood preservatives
9. solid waste from post and pole operations that does not contain wood preservatives
10. solid waste from tree harvesting operations

“Prohibited Debris” means any inflammable waste that, when burned, may result in the release of the atmosphere of dense smoke, offensive odours, or toxic substances and includes but is not limited to:

1. animal manure
2. pathological waste
3. non-wooden material
4. waste material from building or construction sites, excluding wooden materials that do not contain wood preservatives
5. rubber or plastic, or anything containing or coated with rubber or plastic or similar substances, except rubber or plastic attached to shredded scrap steel
6. combustible material in automobile bodies
7. solid waste from sawmills or planing mills with an annual production in excess of 9500 cubic metres of lumber
8. tires
9. used oil
10. wood or wood products containing substances for the purpose of preserving wood

Complaints regarding offensive odours from the burning of prohibited debris should be directed to ALBERTA ENVIRONMENT POLLUTION CONTROL, 1-800-222-6514