Fire permits required in Lacombe County starting March 1

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Lacombe County’s Fire Protection Policy outlines strict consequences for burning without a permit. Offenders will face a mandatory $300 flat rate charge for fire department responses not requiring suppression efforts, along with potential charges under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act.

Safety First: Check Winter Burn Piles

Given the unusually dry winter, the county urges residents to vigilantly monitor any winter burn piles. These can smoulder unnoticed and reignite, posing a significant fire risk in spring. “It’s critical to ensure that all controlled burns are fully extinguished and to adhere to safe burning practices throughout the year,” Burlock adds.

If you have done any burning this fall or winter, take the time to visit your burn site to make sure the fire is completely out. For further information, visit: https://wildfire.alberta.ca

Fire Response Charges

Property owners will be held financially responsible for fires resulting from negligence or failure to comply with permit conditions, including:

• Fire truck: up to $700 per hour
• Water truck: up to $700 per hour
• Rapid response unit/mini pumper: up to $700 per hour
• Rescue truck: up to $700 per hour
• Command vehicle: up to $205 per hour
• Additional equipment and personnel costs as per Lacombe County rates

When do you require a fire permit?

The Forest and Prairie Protection Act prohibits the lighting of an outdoor fire, excluding an attended outdoor campfire which has been set for cooking or warming purposes, between March 1 and October 31 each year, on land in a permit area unless the person is a holder of a subsisting fire permit.

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
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
Plastic or rubber-coated materials, including copper wire.

by rdnewsNOW staff

Fire permits required in Lacombe County starting March 1

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