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# Burning Permits and By-law
Small fires are permitted in most areas of Highlands East as long as the following rules are followed:
* There is no daytime burning permitted during the fire season (April 1 to October 31) without a permit. Fires may take place only during the time from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
* Fires in Hamlet Residential (R2) zoned areas can be no greater than 0.6 metres (approximately 24 inches) in diameter. Fires in other locations must be less than two (2) metres in diameter and less than two (2) metres high.
* Your fire must be setback a minimum of three (3) metres from any combustible materials, property lines, buildings, fences, trees and roadways.
* Only environmentally friendly materials may be burned.
* The smoke from your fire cannot interfere with your neighbours or a roadway.
* You must have sufficient tools and water available to put the fire out should the need arise.
* You must be with your fire at all times.
Please read the Open Air Burning By-law for details. Email us or call 705-448-2981 x428 for more information.
## Other fires need permits
All other fires in Highlands East need a permit.
A new County-wide policy change for burn permits is in effect. Burn permits will only be issued to a contractor with a registered business or a property owner with an open building permit, demolition permit or entrance permit. Permits will be valid for 7 days.
Please read the Open Air Burning By-law for more details. Email us or call 705-448-2981 x428 for more information.
## Apply for a permit online
Follow the steps below to apply for your Open Air Burning Permit:
1. Review our Open Air Burning By-law to make sure your planned burn is allowed and that you qualify for a permit. Email us or call 705-448-2981 x428 if you are not sure about something to do with your planned burn.
2. Use our online Open Air Burning Application form to submit your application details to us.
3. Approved burn permits will be subject to a $150 fee. Once your permit has been validated for approval, the Fire Chief will contact you to arrange for payment. At that time you can pay your $150 application fee online. Your permit will not be issued without this fee.
Apply Now
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| Fees |
| Fire Service Fees | Service | Fees | | --- | --- | | Fire Incident Report/File Search | $100 payable upon receipt of the report. | | Fire Inspections | $75 payable before inspection. | | Burning Permit\* | $150 payable upon approval. | | Responses to Motor Vehicle Accidents | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. (Includes Motor Vehicle Fires, Motorized Snow Vehicles and All-Terrain Vehicles on any road or trail.) | | Outdoor Burning Violation | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call and/or appropriate fine from the Open Air Burning By-law applicable at time of call. | | Fire Investigation (Cost Recovery) | Municipal and third party contractor fees involved with investigation. | | False Alarms | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call for each alarm after the second alarm in a twelve month period. See False Alarm Responses below for more information. | | File Searches | $100 for Inspection Reports, Fire Code Compliance Letters and Response Reports provided to property owners or insurance companies upon request. | | Property File Searches | $100 for searches of property files for information such as previous fire code violations, outstanding work orders and retrofit requirement compliance. | | LLBO Liquor License Letter | $100 for agency letter for liquor license application. | | LLBO Special Occasion Permit Letter | $100 for agency letter for special occasion permit application. Additional charges apply if property inspection is required. | | Level 1 (Basic) Propane Storage Risk Safety Management Plan Review | $100 | | Level 2 (Complex) Propane Storage Risk Safety Management Plan Review | $85 (This fee applies where we are requested to review and/or approve a level 1 or 2 Risk Safety Management Plan as part of an application to the TSSA for a license to store propane.) | \* Daytime Burning Permits are issued by the Fire Chief for qualified applicants, for an approved date and time, for burns that exceed non-permit regulations. No permits are issued during Fire Bans. For more details on burning rules please see Burning Permits and By-Law. All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. Device Fees | Device | Fee | | --- | --- | | Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm | $35 | | Smoke Alarm | $10 | All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. Fire Safety Inspection Fees\* | Service | Fee | | --- | --- | | Day Care Centres | $175 | | Private Home Day Care Centres | $100 | | Licensed Marijuana Grow Operation | $85 per hour | | Care Occupancy (Nursing Homes, Rest Homes and Old Age Homes) | $85 per hour\*\* | | Care Occupancy (Special Care Homes) | $85 per hour\*\* | | Repeat Owner Requested Inspections (Short Term Rentals, Bed & Breakfasts, Cottage Rentals, Country Inns, Vacation Apartments) | $85 per hour | | Follow-up Fire Safety Inspection to verify compliance with an inspection order issued as a result of a fire code violation. | $85 per hour | | Fire Safety Plan Review for subsequent reviews of plans that were not approved during the initial review. | $50 per review | \* Upon request for Accreditation or Licensing. \*\* Applies to Inspections and Monitored Fire Drills. All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. Fire Department Incident Response Fees | Service | Fee | | --- | --- | | Preventable False Alarm Response 1 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. | | False Alarm Due to Failure to Notify2 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. | | Standby Charges3 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. | | Vehicle Accidents and Fires on Provincial Highways4 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. | | Vehicle Accidents and Fires on All Other Roads or Property5 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. | | Propane Incident Responses6 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. | | Open Air Fire Responses7 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call. | | Hazardous Materials Spills | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call plus cost of consumables.8 | | Illicit Drug Labs and/or Marijuana Grow Operations | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call plus cost of consumables.8 | | Additional Fire Department Expenses9 | Actual costs. | | Fire Watch | $40.00 per hour per firefighter. Minimum of two firefighters. | | Indemnification Technology (Fire Marque)10 | Ministry of Transportation Rates applicable at time of call plus any additional costs for each incident. | | In-house Gear Cleaning for Bunker Gear | 1.5 hours of firefighters' wages | | In-house Gear Cleaning for Coveralls | 1 hour of firefighters' wages | | In-house Gear Cleaning for Helmet Liners, Gloves and Balaclavas | 1 hour of firefighters' wages | 1 **Preventable False Alarm Response Fee** is chargeable to the owner of the property at which the alarm was activated, as defined in Section 1 of the Ontario Fire Code, O Reg 388/97 as amended, for every third and subsequent occurrence in a 12 month period, where fire department vehicles are dispatched, and it is determined by the fire department that the alarm was due to an improperly functioning alarm system. This shall not apply where the conditions were not within the control of the owner, including but not limited to, changes in atmospheric conditions, excessive vibrations, power failure, malicious actions of other of fluctuations of water pressure. 2 **False Alarm Due to Failure to Notify Fee** is chargeable to the owner of the property at which the alarm was activated, as defined in Section 1 of the Ontario Fire Code, O Reg 388/97 as amended, for each occurrence where fire department vehicles are dispatched to an activated fire alarm where it is determined by the fire department that the alarm was caused by either a test or repairs to the alarm system where the owner failed to notify their alarm system and/or the fire department. 3 **Standby Charges** apply when fire department vehicles and crews are requested to provide standby. The standby requests may include, but are not limited to, special events, businesses, or events that require rescue teams to be present. 4 **Vehicle Accidents and Fires on Provincial Highways** is a fee is chargeable to the Ministry of Transportation for all vehicle-accident, safety or fire related fire department services that occur on provincial highways. 5 **Vehicle Accidents and Fires on All Other Roads or Property Fee** is charged directly to the at fault owner/driver when the incident takes place on a Municipal or County road. 6 **Propane Incident Response Fee** is chargeable where the fire department determines that a propane incident has been caused directly by a person or company, who has failed to take reasonable precautions including getting a locate and following proper guidelines regarding digging around locates. 7 **Open Air Fire Response Fees** will be charged for each staffed fire department vehicle in attendance at an unauthorized open air fire or an open air fire that is being conducted in contravention of the guidelines for an open air burn. 8 **Consumable Material Costs** will be recovered in addition to the hourly cost of fire department response for any response involving the containment or clean-up of a hazardous materials spill or for any response involving illicit drugs or marijuana grow operations. Costs will be billed to the owner or person in control of the pollutant(s). 9 **Additional Fire Department Expenses** are charged to the owner of a property to recovery actual costs where we are required to retain a private contractor or rent special equipment in order to preserve property or evidence or eliminate an emergency or risk. Examples include, but are not limited to, renting heavy machinery such as excavators, contracting security services to protect property or contracting the clean-up of hazardous materials or dangerous goods. Additional expenses that may be required to bring a fire under control that may be recovered as part of this by-law include the use of fire fighting foam, dry chemical extinguishing devices and any equipment or PPE damaged during operations. 10 **Indemnification Technology**related fees are HST exempt. Should the insurer pay the coverage to the property owner, the property owner is liable to remit these funds to the municipality or its representative. Where the Municipality believes and/or Indemnification Technology® indicates Fire Department Specific Response Fees are applicable but the Owner does not have, in part or in full, insurance coverage for fire department charges for the Property, the Municipality may adjust the Fire Department Specific Response Fees to the extent of insurance coverage upon provision by the Owner of evidence, to the satisfaction of the Municipality, that no such insurance coverage exists or to demonstrate the limits of such coverage. All Fire Department Fees are subject to applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. |
## Burn bans
Any municipal or county-wide burn ban supersedes these rules. Burn bans will be prominently announced on this website.
Fire Rating:
Low
Medium
High
Day Burning AllowedLearn More
Night Burning OnlyLearn More
Use Extreme CautionLearn More
Contact Us
Wilberforce Municipal Office Address
P.O. Box 295
2249 Loop Road
Wilberforce, Ontario, Canada
K0L 3C0
Phone: 705-448-2981
Fax: 705-448-1027
Email Us
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