Burn Permits

No person(s) or owners(s) of land shall set a fire or permit the setting of a fire without first having obtained an authorized burn permit. Burning must be in accordance with the Open Air Burning By-law 2015-92 or subsequent by law.

A permit shall not be issued in a settlement area with clearance of less than 15 feet/5 metre from any structure. Permit is valid until the end of each calendar year at a cost of $50.00.

Burn Permits (except for those that require an inspection) can be obtained on-line by completing the Burn Permit E-Commerce Form . **PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to sign in or create an account. Once you have signed in, Burn Permits can be located under "Memberships".

Permits can also be obtained from the Township Administration Centre, upstairs, during regular business hours.

Recreational / Campfires are only permitted in a settlement area or non-settlement area where:

Clearances exceed 15 feet/5 metre from any dwelling or structure, deck, shed, hedge, tree, vehicular roadway or overhead wire.
Campfires is no larger than 1.5 feet x 1.5 feet/0.5 metre x 0.5 metre in area with flames no higher than 1.5 feet/0.5 metre from the base of the fire;
Campfires are only to burn from noon to midnight in a commercially manufactured or non-commercially manufactured, non-combustible, enclosed container burning only clean dry wood.

Open Air Burning is permitted:

In a settlement area or non-settlement areas that have clearances of 33 feet/10 metre clearance from nearest dwelling or structure, deck hedge, tree, fence, vehicular roadway or overhead wire.
Shall be no larger than 3 feet x 3 feet/1 metre x 1 metre in area with flames no higher than 3 feet/1 metre from the base of the fire; and
Open air burning is only permitted between dawn until dusk
Permitholders are only permitted to burn clean dry seasoned wood or brush, branches or twigs.

Inspections are required as follows:

Where fire size is greater than 3 feet x 3 feet/ 1 metre x 1 metre in size.
No open air burning shall be set within 300 feet/91 metre of a dwelling and a minimum of 300 feet/91 metre from any other structure, hedge, tree, fence, vehicular roadway or overhead wire
Open air burning is only permitted between dawn until dusk,
Permitholders are only permitted toburn untreated wood, trees, brush, trimmings.

Township of Essa
Fire Department
5786 Simcoe County
Road 21, Utopia, ON
L0M 1T0
Phone: 705-424-5828
Fax: 705-424-4185
Emergency: 9-1-1