Owen Sound City Council approved the following recommendation at last night's meeting.
"The Corporate Services Committee recommend that City Council initiate a public consultation process respecting the proposed
draft Fire By-law with the following changes to the City's current practice:
1. prohibiting large fires and stop issuing fire permits;
2. creating a new ceremonial class of fires as set out in the draft by-law;
3.provide separate, clear rules for cooking fires that only use commercial briquettes or charcoal as set out in the draft by-law;
4. provide separate, clear rules for recreational fires as set out in the draft by-law; and
5. using a format and language makes the by-law easier to read.
The City's Open Air Burning By-law No. 2007-235 was passed in 2007
The Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services department responds to an average of 23 calls each year from public complaints of unauthorized burning.
As staff educate the public and enforce the Open Air Burning By-law, it has become evident that a number of matters may be out of date or are no longer working as intended, including:
Fire permits for large fires. Approximately 5 fire permits are issued each year. In the existing by-law only clean, dry wood is allowed to be burned in large fires with a fire permit - currently leaves, brush and wet wood must be taken to the compost site and pressure treated wood and construction debris must be taken to the transfer station
for proper disposal. Staff recommend prohibiting large fires and requiring residents to take wood that would have otherwise been burned to the compost site since this is a safer and more environmentally friendly way of disposing of unwanted wood.
Ceremonial Fires Under the existing by-law ceremonial fires by the first nationsgroups in the City like the M'Wikwedong Cultural Centre at 1723 8th Avenue East have been treated as large fires requiring a permit. Staff recommend creating a separate category called ceremonial fires for this purpose with no permit requirement or fee as long as groups notify the Fire Department and
Fire Department staff determine the fire to be safe and the fire does not exceed 60 cm x 60 cm in size. Staff have consulted the M'Wikwedong Cultural Centre on this proposal and it appears to be well received.
Cooking Fires (briquettes or charcoal) The existing by-law has separate regulations for small fires depending on if someone is cooking or not, meaning it is possible that if someone has a marshmallow at their fire they have to comply with different regulations
than if they do not. Staff are recommending that cooking fires be based on the fuel being used rather than if food is present or not.
Many existing regulations for cooking remain the same such as: may be at any time, no permit required, setbacks based on manufacturers instructions or as set by the Fire Department for homemade cooking fires, must be monitored by a person on the property at all times.
Small Wood Burning Appliances (recreational fires) Staff recommend that the description for recreational fires must be clearly distinguished from cooking fires. Staff recommend being less restrictive and allowing recreational fires from 4 pm to 3 am (instead of the current 4 pm to midnight). Recreational fires must be closely supervised at all times.
Staff recommend broadening the definition of how fires can be contained: i.e. in a non-combustible material. Staff are recommending a $30 per year inspection fee to cover the costs for Fire Prevention Officers to ensure the regulations with this by-law are followed which will be valid as long as the fire remains in the same place.
In order to decrease the chances of a fire spreading and address concerns with nuisance to neighbours staff recommend setting the
clearance by the manufactures instructions or increasing the clearance from other combustible materials and lot lines from 3 m(10') to 7.5 m (25') for homemade recreational fire pits.
Staff are looking for Committee and Council's feedback on:
o allowing recreational fires until 3 am;
o charging an annual fee; and
o increasing the setback for homemade fire pits
Staff are recommending the community be consulted on a draft Fire By-law which would include the following:
- Clarifying the exempt fires (camp sites, Fire Department, Georgian College and parks department)
- fires continue to be prohibited downtown and on public lands
- a fire extinguisher or operable garden hose must be readily available while the fire is burning.
