Rural Recreational Fire Permit Application

If you are the property owner, once you have completed this online application you will be able to print and use the permit immediately.

If you are not the property owner, you will be required to submit the property owner's signature to the Village of Cumberland Office and the permit is NOT VALID until approved by Village staff.

You may be required to present a copy of this permit upon request from the fire chief or designated duty officer at any time.

Fire Prevention Regulations 16. (1) A person may apply to the fire chief for a permit to carry out open burning and the fire chief is authorized to issue the permit where he or she considers that:
(a) the open burning does not create an unreasonable risk to the land or premises or surrounding lands;
(b) because of the location of the land on which the burning is to occur, the open burning will not unreasonably impair air quality of the surrounding lands.
(2) In issuing a permit under 16(1), the .fire chief may impose one or more of the following conditions
(a) limit the duration of the burning; (b) limit the size of the burning; (c) limit the amount or type of material that may be burned; and (d) precautions to be observed during burning.
(3) The fire chief may withhold any permit or cancel any permit when in his opinion the igniting of a fire may create a hazard to persons or property.
(4) No person shall bum any garbage, animal waste, rubber, tires, oil, tar, asphalt shingles, battery boxes, plastic material, or any other materials which produce heavy black smoke or create a noxious odour.
(5) Permits are required at all times for campfires.
(6) Open burning is only permitted from October 15 to April 30 and requires a permit, unless a notice is published or posted under section 17.
(7) Permits are requited at all times for the burning of debris that results from land clearing activities.
(8) All fires must be attended by a competent person at least 16 years old who shall supervise any burning and shall ensure that sufficient equipment, functioning hoses, tools and material in order to contain the fire and extinguish it if necessary, are available.
(9) A person who is issued a permit for burning debris from land clearing activities under section 16(7) shall be charged a cost of $500.
Cancellation, modification and suspension of permits
17. (1) At any time, the fire chief or an officer may, on account of hazardous fire conditions, cancel or suspend any permit issued under this bylaw, or may impose such further regulations, terms, conditions, restrictions and provisions on the permit as the fire chief or officer deems necessary.
(2) Despite any other provision of this bylaw, where the fire chief determines or identifies that hazardous fire conditions exist, the fire chief may order a suspension or total ban on open air burning, at any time and for any duration. A person must not light, ignite, start, maintain or allow or cause to be lighted, ignited, started or maintained any fire in contravention of the fire chiefs order under this section.
(3) A permit holder who fails to comply with the conditions of a permit must, upon direction of the fire chief or person acting under the authority of the fire chief, immediately extinguish any and all fires. If the permit holder fails to extinguish the fire(s) as directed, the fire chief or person acting under this or her authority may cause the fire(s) to be extinguished.
Burning restrictions
18. (1) A person must not light, ignite, start, maintain or allow or cause to be lighted, ignited, started or maintained a campfire, or permit smoke to emanate from a campfire, unless:
(a) the only materials burned in the campfire are dry, seasoned wood;
(b) the campfire is continuously controlled and supervised by a competent person equipped with extinguishing equipment and materials; and
(c) the smoke from the campfire does not create a nuisance.
(2) A permit holder must not bum prohibited material as defined under the British Columbia Ministry of Environment "Open Burning Smoke Control Regulations" under the Environmental Management Ad.
(3) Every permit holder must ensure that a permitted fire that is smoldering or burning is under the immediate care and control of a competent person who has been provided with sufficient equipment to prevent the fire from burning out of control causing damage or becoming dangerous to life and property.
See the Rural Cumberland Fire Service Regulations Bylaw No. 258, 2013 for complete information.