Still plenty of snow on the ground, but today marks the official start of the fire season.
Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service is reminding residents about its policy on open-air burning.
Right now, burning of wood, brush, leaves and grass is only allowed with a permit on lands located north of Eighth Street West and situated along McIrvine Road and Frog Creek Road.
Permits can be obtained by calling the Fort Frances Fire Hall at 274-9841 Ext.1, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment.
It is restricted to all other locations.
You can have an open fire for cooking or recreational purposes, and no permit is required.
At any time, the Chief Fire Official has the authority to not approve or cancel burning permits when necessary.
At this time, the only burning permitted in the Town of Fort Frances is covered in the Town of Fort Frances BYLAW 27/12 under:
4 – WHERE PERMIT NOT REQUIRED.
A burning permit is not required for the following:
4.1 A small confined fire used to cook food on a grill or a barbecue, supervised at all times, shall not be deemed to require a permit fire for the purposes of this bylaw.
4.2 A small confined fire used for recreational purposes, less than one metre (39 inches) in diameter, less than one metre (39 inches) in height, and supervised at all times, shall not be deemed to require a permit for the purposes of this bylaw. These fires must be confined in a fire pit or fire ring. Either home-made or manufactured construction is acceptable.
4.3 Outdoor Fireplace with dimensions less than one metre (39 inches) in diameter, less than one metre (39 inches) in height, and supervised at all times, shall not be deemed to require a permit for the purposes of this bylaw. These items must be located on a non-combustible surface extending beyond the unit to a dimension equal to the height of the unit.
4.4 While being exempted from permits in clauses 4.1 and 4.2, any person burning in the Town of Fort Frances shall be responsible to burn in accordance with the provisions of this bylaw in sections 6, 7, and 8 if they are not specifically identified in this section.
4.5 Persons burning for the purposes of cooking or recreation are exempted from the time limitations defined in section 7.5 of this bylaw.
4.6 All fires must be built using clean dry wood and uncontaminated materials. Construction products and waste materials cannot be used as a fuel source for fires and must be disposed of in the landfill. Commercial fire logs are also an acceptable fuel source.
More information can be found on the town’s website.
