The Puslinch fire department will be taking a tougher stance on illegal burns.
Those caught conducting illegal burns or without permits will be charged the cost of the fire department’s response to the scene.
On July 16 Puslinch fire chief Steven Goode told councillors about a troubling trend.
“This month it is illegal burning,” he said, noting that within the past month the department has responded several times to illegal burns.
As a result, Goode said, three people have been charged with the cost of the response.
“Many people don’t have permits for burns. We want to put out a public education message to make people aware that there is a new bylaw and there is a fee attached,” said Goode.
He added he wanted to ensure there are no surprises for residents.
“Once the fire department arrives, it will be handled strict. In fact, there is zero tolerance.”
He stressed that if there is no permit for the fire, the person will be charged the cost for firefighters to respond – at $400.
Goode noted Puslinch residents can apply to the township office for a permit to conduct open-air burning on their property, subject to the conditions set out in the township’s open air burning bylaw.
Residents are encouraged to carefully review the bylaw before filling out the application form. The $20 fee, payable at the time of issue, is valid for the current calendar year in which it was issued.
Failure to comply with any and all of the provisions of the open air burning bylaw will result in an immediate revocation of the permit.
Also, at certain times of the year and as conditions warrant, the fire
chief may issue a complete ban on open air burning. When a ban is issued, all open air burning is prohibited.
Also, no open air burning will be permitted when a smog alert has been issued for Wellington County, which includes the Township of Puslinch.
Only unpainted wood, organic materials, ground cover and paper products are to be used for burning. Green wood, painted wood, construction material, garbage, cardboard or recyclable materials are examples of items that should not be burned.
Fires should be small and they should be supervised at all times by an adult, officials state, adding the fire must be extinguished when there is no supervision.
Fire extinguishment equipment, such as a garden hose, should be readily available and accessible during an open air burn.
Goode later noted that one of last month’s serious responses was a barn fire on Townline Road.
That incident, which was first reported as an illegal burn, resulted in roughly $100,000 in damage, Goode noted.
“Based on the amount of damage to the property, the cause of the fire could not be determined,” he said.
Councillor Wayne Stokley commented that he’d received a call from at least one resident concerned with the annual $20 fee. He said the resident questioned why the full annual fee was charged when it is halfway through the year.
Councillor Susan Fielding noted that items such as dog licences are not pro-rated if they are purchased mid-year.
She then asked what happens when an individual has a burn permit, but a call comes in from the public who is unaware the person has a permit.
Goode agreed that was happening, especially along Highway 6 and the 401.
“We proceed to the site knowing the person has a permit. The problem is when the calls arrive, it is reported as heavy black smoke. We treat that as a structure fire and send everyone in. “We have to take the calls seriously.”
Goode pointed to the incident on Townline Road where someone thought it was an illegal burn and it turned out to be a structure fire.
He added residents can still apply for specific exemptions to the burn bylaw.
Mayor Dennis Lever asked if the number of illegal burns was up, or merely the number of calls.
Goode believed the number of burns was up. He attributed some of that to last year’s ice storm.
Councillor Jerry Schmidt reminded residents and council that the $20 fee covered the cost of processing the applications. “It’s not a money making thing,” said Schmidt.
