Like last year, Lacombe County’s fire permit season will start a month earlier on March 1st coinciding with changes made by the provincial government.
“In response to changing conditions in our environment, often resulting in drier spring conditions, the provincial government has moved up fire permit season by a month,” explained Drayton Bussiere, Lacombe County Fire Chief.
Burning without a fire permit can result in a hefty fine.
Under Lacombe County’s Fire Protection Policy, anyone found burning without a permit will be required to pay for the fire department response fees.
A flat rate of $300 will be charged for responses to a fire when a person is in contravention of the Forest and Prairie Protection Act for failure to have a fire permit or any other provision of the Act and fire suppression is not required.
“It’s about public safety and burning responsibly,” said Bussiere.
“Fire permits are free of charge and easy to obtain, yet we continue to have situations where people don’t take out a permit and can be charged under the bylaw.”
The past several years have seen many producers brush lands and burn the brush during the winter months.
It is very important to remember to check these piles as they can smolder for many months, and can be rekindled by wind. Combine this with dry spring conditions and the resulting fires can be disastrous.
Fires that are started by rekindled brush piles are your responsibility and you can also be charged for the fire response.
Should a fire department respond to a fire for which a permit has not been issued, or if a permit has been issued and the permit holder contravenes any of the conditions of the permit, the property owner will be assessed costs at the following rates:
• fire truck - $500 per hour
• water truck - $300 per hour
• rapid response unit/mini pumper - $300 per hour
• equipment van - $300 per hour
• equipment other than fire apparatus – Lacombe County cost
• personnel other than fire department members - Lacombe County cost
Beginning on March 1st, online fire permits can be submitted from the Lacombe County web site homepage (www.lacombecounty.com), and through the ‘my Lacombe County’ app (Apple users).
People are also able to request permits in person at the Lacombe County office, or by calling 403-782-8959.
Before lighting any fire, a permit holder must take precautions to ensure that the fire is kept under control at all times. The following rules apply to all permits issued in Lacombe County:
• a fire permit is valid only for the period that it is issued for.
• upon issuing a permit, the County may specify any special fire control condition that, in their discretion, is important to the safety of the county residents.
• the fire must be set at the time and place indicated on the permit.
• the number of fires set at one time and minimum equipment needed may be specified on the permit.
• anyone who sets a fire under the authority of a permit must have a the permit at the fire site, produce and show the permit to a County employee on request, keep the fire under control, and extinguish the fire before expiration, or upon cancellation of the permit, or obtain a renewal.
Burnable debris includes brush and fallen trees, used power and telephone poles that do not contain preservatives, wood or wood products not containing preservatives, solid waste from tree harvesting; straw, stubble, grass, weeds, leaves, and tree prunings; and solid waste from post and pole operations that does not contain wood preservatives.
Prohibited debris includes animal manure, pathological waste (waste from human health centres), wood or wood products containing wood preservatives, waste materials from construction sites, rubber, including tires, plastic, including baler twine, oil, containers that held pesticides or any other chemicals, and plastic or rubber coated materials, including copper wire.
Remember to recycle many items that you may consider burning can be recycled: plastics, paper, cardboard and metal materials, used oil, tires and beverage containers, along with many other items.
Call the Recycle Info Line at 1-800-463-8320 for local information or visit the Lacombe Regional Waste Services Commission web site (www.lrwsc.ca).
-Weber