TIVFD: Yard Waste Permits

Yard Waste Fire Permits will be available on and after October 1st online at www.thetisislandfire.ca.  The permit will be issued for the month of October.

Individuals applying for the permit to burn woody debris yard waste (no garbage or construction lumber) are required to check the Ministry of Environment’s VENTING INDEX for smoke control to determine if the conditions are good for producing smoke on the day of the burn pile ignition.  All burn piles must conform to the size and safety regulations for Class 2 outdoor fires.

The Ministry of Environment’s Smoke Control Regulations are set in place to protect your and your neighbours’ and the residents of the region’s lungs from smoke injury and disease.  Thetis Island is located in a High Sensitivity Zone and specific regulations for High Sensitivity Zones are in force.  Restrictions on how long and for how many days you can produce smoke are set out in the BC Laws available in the link, the relevant sections of which are quoted below.

https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/152_2019/#section18

Please note that open burning must cease four hours before sunset.

Division 1 — High, Medium and Low Smoke Sensitivity Zones

Allowable periods of open burning in high smoke sensitivity zone

18   A person with possession or control of a parcel of land that is

(a)private land,

(b)smaller than 64 hectares, and

(c)within or partially within a high smoke sensitivity zone

must ensure that open burning on the parcel of land is carried on no more than

(d)12 days or portions of days in each calendar year, and

(e)6 days or portions of days in each calendar month.

Open burning for less than one day in high or medium smoke sensitivity zone

19   A person may carry on open burning in either a high smoke sensitivity zone or a medium smoke sensitivity zone for a period that is less than one day if the person ensures that the following conditions are met with respect to the open burning:

(a)in the case of a high smoke sensitivity zone, the vegetative debris is seasoned vegetative debris;

(b)if ventilation forecasts are available for the general area in which the open burning is located, the following is met:

(i) that

(A)a ventilation forecast for that area is obtained on the day, but before, the open burning starts, or

(B)a custom ventilation forecast for that area is obtained on the day before or on the day, but before, the open burning starts;

(ii) the forecast obtained under subparagraph (i) (A) or (B) is "good" for the day the open burning starts;

(c)the open burning starts not earlier than one hour after sunrise;

(d)the open burning ends by 4 p.m. or two hours before sunset, whichever is later, on the same day the open burning starts.

Open burning for more than one day in high smoke sensitivity zone

20   A person may carry on open burning in a high smoke sensitivity zone for a consecutive period that is less than 2 days if the person ensures that the following conditions with respect to the open burning are met:

(a)the vegetative debris is seasoned vegetative debris;

(b)if ventilation forecasts are available for the general area in which the open burning is located, the following is met:

(i) that

(A)a ventilation forecast for that area is obtained on the day, but before, the open burning starts, or

(B)a custom ventilation forecast for that area is obtained on the day before or on the day, but before, the open burning starts;

(ii) the forecast obtained under subparagraph (i) (A) or (B) is

(A)"good" for the day the open burning starts, and

(B)"good" or "fair" for the second day of the open burning;

(c)the open burning starts not earlier than one hour after sunrise;

(d)unlit piles of the vegetative debris are ignited, and remaining unlit vegetative debris is added to the ignited piles of the vegetative debris, only during the period that starts one hour after sunrise and ends 4 hours before sunset on the day the open burning starts;

(e)the open burning ends by 4 p.m. on the second day of the open burning. 

The fire department urges you to refrain from burning raked leaves and instead compost them or use as mulch around tour garden over the winter. 

TIVFD