The Township of Norwich has adopted a zero tolerance approach to open air burning this year.
NORWICH TOWNSHIP - The Township of Norwich has adopted a zero tolerance approach to open air burning this year.
Fire crews will be giving out fines to residents who do not obtain a permit for all non-recreational fires. Lead Public Fire Safety Educator Derek VanPagee says this does not include small backyard camp fires.
"For a backyard camp fire, we are not looking to police people's backyard fires, it's for when the fire gets to big, when your too close to occupied structures or unoccupied structures and we encourage people to look at our brochure to make sure you are not in violation of the burn permit. If you have a proper burn permit and you are following it, doing it during daylight hours, it's not windy and you are following all the protocols, you are not going to get in trouble, it's when you breach that burn permit policy, that's when you would get a charge."
VanPagee says you need to get a burn permit if you want to have a brush fire or a fire larger than 61 cm by 61 cm in diameter and 61 cm in height.
"We adopted the zero tolerance policy because people were breaking permit policies and in the past they were given a warning, that has changed now and under the new policy there will not be a warning. First time offenders will be given a $150 administration fee, plus the MTO rate for any apparatus that responds, so that translates to approximately $500 per truck that responds to the incident. There won't be any warnings anymore."
A copy of By-law 39-2005 can be found on the Township web site at www.norwich.ca or by contacting the Municipal Office at fireadmin@norwich.ca.
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