Burning permits, available free of charge only at the Municipal Office, are required for ALL open air fires to be set within the Township of Brock. Burning permits are valid for a period of 30 calendar days and may be renewed by telephoning the municipal office and providing your name, address, telephone number, location of burn, and the permit number. All permits issued in a calendar year expire on December 31st and a new application must be obtained for the following year.

Should the Fire department be called to a location where a burning permit has not been obtained, it may result in the costs for attendance being assessed to the property owner.

The following regulations apply to all open air fires:

• fires permitted only between ½ hour before sunrise and ½ hour after sunset;

• wood or wood by-products only (NO grass or leaves);

• a means of extinguishing the fire must be available;

• fires must be attended;

• fire must not cause smoke or fire damage to property or injury to persons;

• fire must not decrease visibility or create a hazard on any roadway;

• fire to be no larger than 1.5 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres in height;

• weather conditions to be favourable for the setting of fires and dispersion of smoke;

• no petroleum products, plastics, rubber or other materials that create excessive odour or toxic smoke;

• fire not to be located closer than 15 metres from any building and 7.5 metres from flammable vegetation or other materials.

In addition, open air burning permits are NOT available in the following areas of the Township:

• any public highway or park;

• designated urban areas of Beaverton, Sunderland, or Cannington;

• the hamlets of Gamebridge, Port Bolster, Wilfrid, Manilla, or Sonya;

• lands zoned Rural Residential (RR) (e.g. Blackwater); or

• lands zoned Shoreline Residential (SR) (e.g. Lake Simcoe).

Residents located within residential areas may burn in a barrel or metal container unit provided the following is complied with:

• the unit must be safely constructed;

• the unit does not exceed 1 metre in diameter and 1 metre in height;

• the unit is located in a safe, cleared area;

• the fire is of a reasonable size; and,

• the regulations set out for open air burning are complied with.

Click here for a copy of the Open Air Burning By-law.

If you are in doubt with respect to burning, contact the Fire Chief to ensure that you are in compliance with the by-law. Failure to do so could be very costly to the property owner.