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EXERCISE CAUTION
WHILE BURNING
Under our
Open-Air Burning Bylaw O-103: Sections 12 (i) & 13
(h), the burning of brush can be done 7 days a week
from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM and all fires must be
completely extinguished by 11:00 PM. Within District
3, HRM Fire Permits are required (at no charge)
anytime throughout the year but the local fire
departments have the right to limit the number of
municipal permits issued. This will be determined
locally in order not to overwhelm their emergency
response capability.
With the
abundance of Juan debris still about, it is hoped
that residents will take advantage of this time of
year to rid themselves of accumulated brush. If you
must burn debris, do it safely. Municipal setback
requirements are more stringent than Provincial
guidelines for safe fire separation. Please see
www.gov.ns.ca/natr/protection/wildfire/safedebris.html
for details. The local Fire Departments have been
advised to exercise some modest discretion to these
rules. As long as we still have the remnants of
Winter ice and snow on the ground and the
anticipated damp Spring weather then some latitude
ought be given.
If by chance you
are denied a Burning Permit, then be sure to obtain
a signed Refusal Form that clearly outlines their
decision why not to grant one. An appeal can be made
to a higher Departmental authority if you feel that
being refused a burning permit was unreasonable and
unjust.
Once April 15th
comes along, then Provincial burning permits will be
required . Domestic burning permits cost $5.
Industrial permits cost $50. Provincial Permits can
be obtained from local Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR)
offices. HRM Council did pass an Amendment O-108 to
the Open-Air Burning By-Law that will allow the
issuance of municipal burning permits during the
provincial fire season (April 15th to October 15th -
dates inclusive) at the discretion of the local fire
chiefs when safe climatic conditions warrant it to
do so.
Please try to
abide by the law. Not to do so will not only
endanger yourself but others as well. If burning is
to occur, I would expect all safety precautions to
be followed, procedures and rules of conducted as
outlined in the By-law be adhered to, and most of
all ... respect to fellow neighbours. No Burning
ought not be exercised around those who have their
laundry out to dry. Nor around homes with
Indoor-Outdoor air & heat exchange units. Polluting
home environs with smoke is not pleasant. Please be
cognizant of those with health conditions that can
be impacted by environmental smoke. Careless debris
burning has been the cause of many wildfires. So
please learn before you burn and exercise extreme
caution while burning. |
