Fire Permits

Fire Permit Information

Once you have entered all required information in the form and submitted the application for a permit, you should receive a message on the screen that reads “Thank you for your application. Your request for a permit will be reviewed and you should receive a response by email or by telephone within two business days.”

If you do not receive the above message or do not receive your approved permit the same day with the exception of weekends, as we are not open, please contact the BESC office directly at 780.336.3041 or via email at info@besc.ca.

Our Office is open Monday – Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Fire Permits

Pursuant to Fire Permit Bylaw 7-2021, Fire permits are required year-round from January 1 until December 31. Permits are available from the BESC office, online, or from the following fire guardians:

  • Town Office (Tofield) Ph: 780-662-3269
  • Village Of Ryley Ph: 780-663-3653
  • Beaver County Office (Ryley) Ph: 780-663-3730
  • Village of Holden Ph: 780-688-3928
  • Bruce Fuels Ph: 780-688-3900
  • BESC Headquarters Office (Viking) Ph: 780-336-3041
  • Kelly Overbo (Kinsella) Ph: 780-336-5518

 

Fire Permits are issued for a 14 day period and are free of charge.
If you live within a municipality please check with your local bylaws, regarding approved fire pit information.

Apply for a fire permit online here.

When A Fire Permit is Not Required:

  • A Barbecue/Fire Pit provided that:
    • A minimum of 3 metres clearance from buildings, property lines and combustible material is maintained;
    • It is constructed of bricks or concrete blocks, heavy gauge metal or other suitable non-combustible components;
    • It has a spark arrestor mesh screen of 13 mm (.50 inches) expanded metal (or equivalent) to contain sparks over the fire at all times;
    • The fire is supervised at all times by a responsible adult until such time that the fire has been extinguished;
    • Only wood, charcoal briquettes, propane or natural gas fuels are used; and
    • Flame height does not exceed 90 cm (3.28 feet above the bbq/fire pit.
  • For a fire within a non-combustible container provided by the County within a designated public park where burning for cooking and warming is permitted.
  • A portable appliance (which means any appliance sold or constructed for the purpose of cooking food in the out of doors).
  • A smudge fire in a non-combustible container covered with a heavy gauge metal screen having a mesh size not larger than 13 mm (.50 inches).
  • An incinerator fire in a non-combustible container covered with a heavy gauge metal screen having a mesh size not larger than 13 mm (.50 inches).
  • The bylaw does not apply to any industrial or commercial type incinerators that are required to be licensed under the Alberta Environment Protection and Enhancement Act.

No burning is allowed without a permit in areas designated as Municipal or Environmental Reserve or in designated restricted burn areas.

Burning Regulations & Tips

  • The fire must be set at the time and place indicated on the permit.
  • The number of fires set at one time and minimum equipment needed may be specified on the permit.

A fire permit is a legal document, which conditionally authorizes a person to burn wood debris at a time specified on the permit. By obtaining a fire permit you have simply indicated your wish to burn. The responsibility for conducting a safe burn is yours.

Burning shall be done in compliance with the Forest and Prairie Protection Act. The regulations made there under and the following conditions:

  • Permittee is responsible for the safe control of the burning herein authorized;
  • Winds less than 10 km per hour;
  • A minimum of one (1) adult must be in attendance at all times;
  • Sufficient tools, equipment and quantities of water must be readily available for the size of burn being conducted;
  • If burning is within ½ kilometer of a primary or secondary highway the Permittee is responsible to post appropriate “Smoke” signs along the primary or secondary highway.
  • Permittee must remove smoke signs when burn is completed or permit expires and return signs to BESC.
  • Consideration must be given to neighbors as to avoid physical discomfort as a result of burning.
  • This Permit does not authorize burning of prohibited debris as defined by the Alberta Environmental Protection Enhancement Act.

Burning on Agricultural Land

Special regulations must be followed by those who have a fire permit to burn brush or debris after land clearing or other agricultural activities on private property. These are as follows:

  • No fire shall be lit for broadcast burning of grass or stubble without first obtaining a fire permit.
  • Burning un-harvested crops is covered in a separate policy “Stubble Burning” and requires additional information, oversight and insurance.
  • In preparation for burning, debris or windrows resulting from land clearing must be no more than 60 metres in length.
  • The area being burned must be completely surrounded by a guard clear of inflammable material to a width of not less than 15 metres.
  • No windrow may be nearer than 25 metres to uncleared land or standing fuels.
  • Windrows must be separated from other parallel windrows by not less than 15 metres.
  • Every fire must be controlled by a responsible person or persons approved by the fire guardian.
  • The minimum amount of equipment at the fire site includes:
    • One axe
    • Two round mouth shovels
    • One water backpack and hand pail or four heavy sacks, and;
    • One barrel of at least 200 litres of water

For more information, contact Beaver Emergency Services Commission 780-336-3041

Backyard Burning – Fire Pits and Burn Barrels

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