65/2020 Prevention and Control of Wildland Fires

Municipality of North Norfolk, Manitoba

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PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WILDLAND FIRES MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH NORFOLK BY-LAW NO. 65/2020 BEING A BY-LAW OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF NORTH NORFOLK for the prevention and control of wildland fires within the Municipality of North Norfolk. WHEREAS it is deemed expedient and advisable to pass a by-law to provide generally for the protection of life and property from damages by fire and to regulate burning within the Municipality of North Norfolk; WHEREAS Section 232(1) of The Municipal Act provides that a Council may pass by- laws for municipal purposes respecting the following matters: (a) the safety, health, protection and well-being of people, and the safety and protection of property; (i) preventing and fighting fires; and, (o) the enforcement of by-laws NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Municipality of North Norfolk in session assembled, enacts as follows: 1.0 Definitions 1.1 Authority Having Jurisdiction or AHJ means the Municipal Council of the Municipality of North Norfolk and the duly appointed agents thereof. 1.2 Burning Permit means a permit issued regulating outdoor and open air burning in burn permit areas. 1.3 CAO means the Chief Administrative Officer of the Municipality of North Norfolk. 1.4 Designate means any person authorized by the AHJ to enforce this by- law on behalf of the AHJ. 1.5 Officer means the Fire Chief, any member of the Fire Service or any person on behalf of the AHJ, appointed as a fire guardian for purposes of The Wildfires Act. 1.6 Outdoor Fire means a fire that is started outdoors including crop residue burning, land clearing and grass burning, but does not include a fire started in, and remains contained within, a fire pit or solid fuel burning appliance. 1.7 Wildfire Season means the period in each year commencing on April 1st and ending on November 15th or any other period of time that may be designated by the AHJ. 1.8 Fire Protection Committee means a committee comprised of the following individuals: - The Mayor and/or the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of North Norfolk; - Fire Chief and/or the Deputy Fire Chief for the Austin Fire Department; - Fire Chief and/or the Deputy Fire Chief for the MacGregor Fire Department; 2.0 Delegation of Authority 2.1 THAT the Authority Having Jurisdiction, Chief Administrative Officer, Manager of Operations, By-Law Enforcement Officer or designate of the Municipality of North Norfolk be appointed as Officers for the purpose of enforcing provincial statutes, regulations as well as this by-law. 3.0 Responsibilities 3.1 THAT all burning within the municipality shall be subject to the conditions and provisions of The Wildfires Act, the Manitoba Crop Burning Residue Burning Regulation and the Municipal By-Law regulating burning within the urban communities of North Norfolk. 3.2 THAT no person shall start an Outdoor Fire within the boundaries of the Municipality of North Norfolk, during the Wildfire Season without first obtaining a Burning Permit from the Municipality of North Norfolk or from one of its designated Officers. 3.3 THAT authorization to conduct Outdoor Fire burning does not exempt or excuse a person from the responsibility, consequences, damages, or injuries resulting from the authorized burning and does not excuse a person from complying with other applicable laws, ordinances or regulations. (a) Any Outdoor Fire shall be supervised by the owner or occupier of the land or a person authorized by the owner or occupier of the land. (b) No person shall start an Outdoor Fire on any land without taking sufficient precautions that are reasonably necessary to protect persons and the property of others from the fire. (c) No person shall start an Outdoor Fire unless all precautions are taken to ensure that the fire can be kept under control, or when weather conditions are conducive to a fire burning out of control. (d) No person shall cause an Outdoor Fire to be started in order to guard property; clear land or burn debris; burn crop, stubble or grass; unless the land on which the fire is started is completely surrounded by a fire guard consisting of: (i) a strip of land free of flammable material, or of sufficient width to control the fire; (ii) natural or man-made barriers, water or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii). (e) The smoke from Outdoor Fire shall not pose unreasonable hazard to the health of any person or reduce the visibility on any road or highway. (f) A sufficient water supply and means of fire suppression capable of extinguishing the Outdoor Fire based on its fuel loading and size shall be available on site. (g) All fires must be extinguished when unsupervised. 4.0 Burning Ban 4.1 THAT the Fire Protection Committee may, at their discretion, ban certain types of burning or ALL BURNING (including fires contained within fire pits and solid fuel burning appliances) in the Municipality of North Norfolk if conditions exist where, in their opinion, fires are of extremely high risk, and such a ban would prevent wild fires from occurring. 5.0 Notification 5.1 THAT the Municipality will follow the procedures outlined on the attached Schedule "A" to notify the public of a burning ban. 5.2 THAT Schedule "A" can be amended by Council resolution. 6.0 Offense and Penalties 6.1 THAT any person who contravenes this by-law is committing an offense and is subject to payment of a municipal fine up to $1,000.00. 6.2 THAT all fines and costs imposed on a contravention under this By-Law, are a debt owed by the property owner on which the fire was located, to the Municipality and may be collected by the Municipality in the same manner as a tax may be collected. 7.0 THAT this by-law repeals the Municipality of North Norfolk's By-Law No. 758/2008. 8.0 THAT this by-law shall come into force and take effect on the passing thereof. DONE AND PASSED by the Municipality of North Norfolk, in Council duly assembled at the Municipal Office at MacGregor in the Province of Manitoba this ____ day of _________ A.D., 2020. Mayor Gerald Barber Valorie Unrau, CMMA Chief Administrative Officer Read a first time this day of A.D. 2020 Read a second time this day of A.D. 2020 Read a third time this day of A.D. 2020 SCHEDULE 'A' Prevention and Control of Wildland Fires By-Law No. 65/2020 Notification Once a burning ban is implemented and when lifted, Municipal Staff will: 1. Post a notice on the Municipal Website, the North Norfolk Facebook Page, at the Municipal Office, on public bulletin boards in MacGregor, Austin, Sidney, Rossendale and Bagot. 2. Notify CFRY radio station. 3. Place an ad in the Herald Leader (only for implementation, not when its lifted). 4. Email the Province of Manitoba at [email protected] requesting the ban be posted on their Current Municipal Burning Restrictions webpage. 5. Post a notice at the area campgrounds if recreational fires are included in the ban. 6. Notify the NorMac Landfill, the MacGregor and Austin Fire Chiefs, Council and all Municipal Staff. 7. Post burning ban signage along the following areas/roads: (a) On #1 Highway at west and east entrance to the municipality. (b) On PR 350 at southern boundary of municipality (c) On PTH 34 at northern boundary of municipality Sign will be attached to the "Welcome to the Municipality of North Norfolk" sign at all these locations.