Outdoor burning

When is open outdoor burning season?

October 1 to April 30 unless stated otherwise.

Open burning season and provincial regulations

Under RDCO Bylaw No. 773 and Bylaw No. 1066 and local fire prevention bylaws in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland, open burning requires a valid permit from a local fire jurisdiction and is only allowed between October 1 and April 30 unless further restrictions are in place due to fire hazards or other local conditions.

In addition, the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation is in place from the BC Ministry of Environment. See the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation Factsheet - Burning in a High Smoke Sensitivity Zone.

Before lighting any open burn pile, in addition to any local fire permit and bylaws, eligible property owners are also responsible to ensure compliance with this BC regulation.

Provincial Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation

The BC Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation divides the province into three smoke sensitivity zones: high, medium and low zones. The Central Okanagan region is within the “high sensitivity zone” and many requirements apply.  See the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation Factsheet - Burning in a High Smoke Sensitivity Zone.

These include, but aren't limited to:

• That efforts have been made to reduce the amount of vegetative debris to be burned through alternative methods of reducing, reusing and recycling
• Open burning setbacks prohibiting burning near hospitals, health care facilities, schools and neighbouring properties. This online setback map was created as an education tool so residents can make an informed decision when applying for a burning permit. Type your address and follow the steps to verify setbacks
• The provincial regulation applies to all branches or other pieces of vegetative debris, with or without leaves, and is 10 cm or greater in diameter
• Use alternatives to burning if the pile is less than 10 cm in diameter

Property owners are responsible for meeting provincial requirements and should email the OBSCR directly for more information. 

Non-compliance to requirements of the provincial Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation that exceed local bylaws will be enforced by the province and are stricter than local bylaws. Enforcement by the province is managed via reporting to the provincial Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline 1-877-952-7277.

If the situation is not an emergency, report the incident online to RAPP or contact the nearest Conservation Officer Services.

How do I get a fire burning permit for Central Okanagan?

Our local fire departments issue burning permits. If necessary, each department enforces its own bylaw regulations.

Residents that have properties greater than 1 hectare (2.47 acres) can apply for a permit through their local fire department jurisdiction:

• Kelowna residents: Kelowna Fire Department Walk-in only at 2255 Enterprise Way (Main hall, Station 1) – fees apply
• West Kelowna residents: West Kelowna Fire/Rescue 778-797-3200
• Lake Country residents: Lake Country Fire Department 250-766-2327 – fees apply
• Peachland residents: Peachland Fire and Rescue Service 250-767-2841
• Ellison, Joe Rich, Wilson's Landing, North Westside residents: Regional District 250-469-6223

Central Okanagan residents with questions about the burn process permit should contact their local fire department.

Alternatives to open burning

There are a number of alternatives to open burning. All residents, farmers and orchardists are encouraged to take advantage of other options such as chipping, flail mowing, or air curtain burning to help reduce smoke pollution in the Central Okanagan.

Alternatives

• Bi-weekly curbside yard waste collection - Living Greener calendar 
• Yard waste drop off – available at the Glenmore Landfill and Westside Residential Waste Disposal and Recycling Centre (Asquith Road in West Kelowna) - fees apply
• Clean air alternatives to open burning 
• Alternatives to minimize smoke 
• Free agricultural chipping program - free service for Central Okanagan orchardists who want to chip wood waste material from an orchard. This type of debris typically includes stumps and large branches (a large volume of wood)
• Mow-Chip Rent-it Rebate Program – qualifying participants must have a property one hectare or greater in size with a small volume of wood for fuel reduction and/or agricultural activities that can't be served through the regular Agricultural Chipping Program
• Air Curtain Burning uses forced air to burn wood faster and with less smoke. Contact your local fire department to learn more about forced air incineration options for agricultural or land clearing wood waste
• A number of private companies offer wood chipping and grinding services or rent portable chippers. Some may also pick up yard waste for disposal. We recommend a Google search for: stump grinding, wood chipping contractors, chipper rental, flail mower rental, etc.

Best practices

After you have considered alternatives to burning to minimize the amount of wood to be burned, have applied for and received a valid open burning permit, please follow these Open Burning Best Practices and check out the Clean Air Alternatives to Open Burning.

Some best practices include:

• Check the venting conditions online
• Call the Open Burning Hotline 1-855-262-2876 on the day you want to burn to ensure that burning is permitted
• Do not start burning until after 10 a.m., as conditions are usually poor for venting smoke before that time
• Prunings and small branches must be dry before burning
• Make piles no greater than 3 metres wide by 3 metres long, and two metres high to better control the fire and reach proper dryness
• All debris 10 cm or greater in diameter should be dry for at least two years or alternatively have 30% or less moisture content (you must keep a record of wood pile moisture content)
• Check wind direction to keep smoke away from neighbours

Illegal materials

It is illegal to burn prohibited materials, including, but not limited to:

• Garbage
• Compostable materials (e.g. leaves, grass clippings)
• Vegetative debris resulting from land cleared for a different use (e.g. farmland to residential development)

Campfires, residential fire pits and other outdoor wood burning appliances

Unless a prohibition is in place, small campfires are permitted within the RDCO fire service areas in Ellison, Joe Rich, North Westside and Wilson's Landing as well as by the City of West Kelowna, District of Lake Country and District of Peachland. Check with your local fire department for any additional regulations, permits or fire bans.

Campfires and outdoor wood burning appliances are not permitted in the City of Kelowna, including fire pits, woodstoves, chimneys, and other appliances unless conditions are met as outlined in Bylaw 10760. You can use an outdoor appliance in the City of Kelowna if the appliance is CSA/ULC, CGA approved (or equivalent) and is fueled by natural gas, propane, gel or charcoal.

1. Always check if there is a campfire ban in place for the Central Okanagan by any local authority or fire ban or restrictions by BC Wildlife in other regions.
2. Always check the Fire Danger Rating to make an informed decision before lighting a fire. Fire danger ratings indicate how easily fires can start and spread in an area.

Different restrictions are in place for other municipalities in the Central Okanagan, so please check your local bylaws. If you are uncertain or have questions, please speak with your local fire department to see if campfires or wood burning appliances are allowed and if permits/special conditions are required.

• City of Kelowna Bylaw 10760 – no wood campfires allowed
• City of West Kelowna Bylaw 0114 – wood campfires allowed, no permit required
• District of Lake Country Bylaw 612 – wood campfires allowed, no permit required
• District of Peachland Bylaw 1718 – wood campfires allowed, permit required
• Regional District Fire Protection Areas and Smoke Control bylaws 773 and 1066 – wood campfires allowed, no permit required
• Westbank First Nation 2005-11 – wood campfires allowed, no permit required

In order to prevent health issues or any other problems, it is recommended that campfires should be avoided during poor air quality conditions [link to: https://www.regionaldistrict.com/your-services/air-quality-program/outdoor-burning.aspx#CurrentConditions]. This is when:

• The Okanagan venting index is less than 34 and/or
• Particulate matter (PM_2.5- 24hr) is 15 µg/m³ or greater

What's the difference between campfires and open burning?

Campfires are not considered part of open outdoor burning.

Campfires are generally small in size and used solely for cooking, lighting or warmth in a camping or recreational setting.

Open outdoor burning requires a permit and is for disposal of large permitted vegetative wood debris.

Open burning complaints/illegal burning

If you suspect someone is burning without a permit or the specific local fire and smoke control requirements are not met, call the regional fire dispatch 250-469-8577 immediately.

Anyone burning without a local burning permit or breaking the rules of their permit may be subject to fines up to $2,000 or be charged with the cost of putting out the fire by their fire service.

Questions?

Please contact the Regional Air Quality Coordinator

Phone: 250-469-8408

Email