Fire Permits | City of North Battleford

Fires in your backyard are a fun way to cook and enjoy the outdoors. But, caution is needed when having a fire. Fire pits and open-air burning require permits from the North Battleford Fire Department. Permits ensure fires burnt in a safe way that minimizes the possibility of fire spreading to property and causing harm to others.

Fire Prevention Bylaw

Fire pits

Fire pits are inspected and approved once. You will need a new fire pit permit if you move the location of the fire pit, or you change the landscape or building structures within 3 metres of the fire pit.

Fire pit requirements

Open cooking fires shall not be set unless the following measures are taken to limit their spread:

be limited to a diameter of seventy-five (75) centimetres (29.5 inches) and be ringed with a non-combustible product.
the appliance or product shall be separated from grass and any other vegetation by a distance of at least forty (40) centimetres (15.7 inches) by means of clean earth, sand, gravel or other non-combustible medium;
a receptacle must be covered with a heavy gauge metal screen with openings not exceeding 13 millimetres (.5 inches); and
the cooking fire shall be located on private property, a distance of at least three (3) metres (9.9 feet) from any property line, building or other combustible structure.

How to get your fire pit inspected and approved

Once you have installed your new fire pit, and before you use it for the first time, you must have it inspected and approved for use. To get it inspected, follow these steps:

Purchase your fire pit inspection at City Hall 1291-101st Street, during regular business hours, or online.
It is important you keep your receipt, you will need to provide it to the firefighters at the time of inspection.
Call the North Battleford Fire Department at 306-445-1770 to set up an inspection appointment.
Present the receipt of the fire pit permit to the firefighter at the time of inspection.

The house already has a fire pit.

If you have moved into a house and there is already a fire pit, call the Fire Department, and they can check their records if it has been approved. You are responsible for the fire pit if you choose to burn in it. Call 306-445-1770 to find out if it is approved.

Fire pit rules and regulations

Open cooking fires shall not be set unless the following measures are taken to limit their spread:

Be limited to a diameter of seventy-five (75) centimetres (29.5) and be ringed
with a non-combustible product.
The appliance or product shall be separated from grass and any other vegetation by a distance of at least forty (40) centimetres (15.7 in) by means of clean earth, sand, gravel or other non-combustible medium.
A receptacle must be covered with a heavy gauge metal screen with openings
not exceeding 13 millimetres (.5 in); and
The cooking fire shall be located on private property, a distance of at least three
(3) meters (9.9ft) from any property line, building or other combustible structure

General requirements

Material which may be burned shall consist only of charcoal or cut, seasoned wood. The burning of the following material is prohibited:

Rubbish.
Garden refuse;
Manure
Livestock or animal carcasses;
Any material classified as a dangerous good and any material which when
burned will generate black smoke or an offensive odour, including insulation from
electrical wiring or equipment, asphalt roofing materials, hydrocarbons, plastics,
rubber materials, creosoted wood or any similar material.

Fires must be reasonably supervised so as to prevent their spread.
Fire shall be adequately ventilated to ensure proper combustion and to prevent an unreasonable accumulation of smoke.
Fires must not be set in windy conditions conducive to creating a running fire or a nuisance to another person.
If smoke from a fire causes an unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of another person’s property, the fire must be extinguished immediately.
The person who the permit is issued to is responsible for any or all damages as a result of burning.

Buy a burn permit

Open-air permits are for fires at temporary locations and must be approved by the Fire Department. Applications can be purchased from City Hall or online.

City Hall

Open Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed statutory holidays

1291-101st Street

North Battleford

Fire bans

Before you start a backyard fire, always check if a fire ban is in effect. See our Public Alerts page or your Voyent Alert! App to see if there are any current fire bans in effect.