---
title: Colwood backyard fire and burning rules
question: "Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Colwood?"
place: Colwood, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/colwood
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Colwood
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/backyard-fire/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/backyard-fire.json"
---

# Colwood backyard fire and burning rules

**Question:** Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Colwood?

**Short answer:** No. Open campfires, beach fires and open yard fires are prohibited in the City of Colwood, and organic yard waste may not be burned. Charcoal, gas and propane appliances and smokers are allowed, and approved wood-burning appliances are allowed except when the fire rating is High or Extreme.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Colwood, https://www.colwood.ca)  
**Cost:** Bylaw notice $200 ($160 within 14 days, $240 after 28 days); municipal ticket $200. The Fire Department may also bill for its response: fire engine and crew $500 per hour in the bylaw, $600 per hour in the municipal ticket schedule.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Colwood Fire Rescue, 250-478-8321
- Email: Colwood Fire Rescue, firedept@colwood.ca

## Key facts

- **Backyard campfires:** Open campfires, beach fires and open yard fires are prohibited. Allowed: charcoal, natural gas or propane appliances and smokers. Manufactured outdoor wood-burning appliances (fire box up to 24 by 24 inches, metal or mesh enclosure, firm non-combustible base, extinguisher at hand) dawn to 10 p.m., not when the fire rating is high or extreme. City adds: private property, at grade, 20 feet from buildings, fences, property lines and trees. No homemade devices.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007, s. 4.1, 4.2](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349)
  - Official wording: "no person shall carry on, or permit to be carried on, open air" … "In an outdoor appliance that uses charcoal briquettes or that is fuelled and" … "All appliances must be situated on a firm noncombustible base." … "Fire Box size shall" … "not exceed 24 inches by 24 inches." … "Hours of operation shall be between dawn and 10 pm only." … "There shall be no use of the appliance when the forest fire rating is high" … "no homemade devices are permitted."
  - Source: [Fire, Burning Regulations](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/safety/fire)
  - Official wording: "Open burning is not permitted in Colwood at any time." … "Outdoor burning appliances must be situated at least 20 feet from any building, fence, property line, trees, bushes or other combustible materials." … "No outdoor burning appliance shall be mounted or used above or below grade level."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Burning yard waste:** Not allowed. Open air burning, including open yard fires and fires for land clearing, demolition waste or construction materials, is prohibited within Colwood, and organic yard waste may not be burned in any way.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007, s. 4.1, 4.3](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349)
  - Official wording: "Incinerators, open yard fires, beach fires, campfires" … "fires for the purposes of land clearing, demolition waste or construction materials." … "or any organic" … "yard waste, treated lumber, or construction debris, or toxic waste in"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit:** No permit is required for approved outdoor burning appliances. Open air burning otherwise is prohibited unless Council allows it by special resolution.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007, s. 4.1, 4.2(e)7](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349)
  - Official wording: "No permit shall be required." … "or by special resolution of Council"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fire bans:** Colwood posts a fire rating (Low, Moderate, High, Extreme) on its Fire page. Wood-burning appliances may not be used when the rating is High or Extreme; gas and propane fire pits, barbecues and smokers remain allowed. Check colwood.ca fire page for the current rating.
  - Source: [Fire, What does the Fire Rating mean?](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/safety/fire)
  - Official wording: "| HIGH | NO: Open burning of wood fuel" … "NO: Approved outdoor wood burning appliances" … "YES: Propane/natural gas fire pits"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Instead of burning:** Colwood's free Branch Drop-Off Program for Colwood residents (branches up to 4 inches diameter, grass clippings, leaves) at the Public Works Yard, 3300 Wishart Road, Saturdays. Hartland Landfill accepts yard and garden material for a fee.
  - Source: [Branch Drop-Off Program, Passage containing “It also replaces backyard burning”](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/branch-drop-program)
  - Official wording: "This program helps keep the yards in our city looking tidy and healthy while diverting materials from the landfill. It also replaces backyard burning, which improves our air quality, protects our natural environment, and creates a healthier community." … "Acceptable material includes branches (maximum diameter 4"), grass clippings and leaves. When preparing your load to bring to the yard, it would be appreciated if you could separate leaves from branches and grass clippings."
  - Source: [Rates & Accepted Items, Capital Regional District, Yard & Garden Waste](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/hartland-landfill/rates-accepted-items)
  - Official wording: "Yard and Garden waste is banned from general refuse and is accepted at Hartland to be composted"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: $200 ($160 within 14 days, $240 after 28 days) for prohibited burning, burning in contravention, or burning prohibited materials. Municipal ticket: $200. The owner or occupier may also be billed for Fire Department response: fire engine and crew $500 per hour in the bylaw's Appendix A, but $600 per hour in the 2022 ticket bylaw schedule. (Sources differ: The municipal ticket schedule (consolidated to April 8, 2022) prices a fire engine and crew at $600 per hour and lists other differing response fees; the bylaw's own Appendix A says $500. Bylaw s. 5 also sets a court fine of $200 to $10,000.)
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1911, 2021 (consolidated to March 9, 2026), Schedule B, Outdoor Burning Bylaw No. 931](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/187475)
  - Official wording: "Prohibited Burning 4.1 $200.00 $160.00 $240.00"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1314, 2010 (consolidated to April 8, 2022), Schedule 15](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1091)
  - Official wording: "Prohibited Burning 4.1 $200"
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007, Appendix A](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349)
  - Official wording: "Fire Engine and Crew" … "$500.00 per hour" … "Fire Engine and Crew $500.00 per hour" … "Prohibited Burning 4.1 $200.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007, s. 1](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as Outdoor Burning Restriction and" … "Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349) prohibits open air burning in Colwood, including open yard fires and fires for land clearing, demolition waste or construction materials. Campfires and beach fires are also prohibited, including at Esquimalt Lagoon. The only exception to the open-burning ban is a special resolution of Council. No permit is needed for approved outdoor burning appliances.

## Steps

1. For yard waste, bring branches (up to 4 inches across), grass clippings and leaves to the City's free Branch Drop-Off; see the yard waste answer.
2. Before using a wood-burning appliance, check the fire rating on the City's Fire page. The rating (Low, Moderate, High, Extreme) changes, so look at the page for the current one.
3. Follow the appliance rules below.

## Good to know

- Allowed: charcoal, natural gas or propane appliances and smokers.
- Manufactured outdoor wood-burning appliances are allowed with a fire box up to 24 by 24 inches, a metal or mesh enclosure, a firm non-combustible base and an extinguisher or other means of putting the fire out at hand. Use is limited to dawn to 10 p.m. No homemade devices.
- Wood-burning appliances may not be used when the fire rating is High or Extreme. Gas and propane fire pits, barbecues and smokers remain allowed.
- The City's Fire page adds that the appliance must be on private property, at grade, and at least 20 feet from buildings, fences, property lines and trees.
- The Fire Department offers a free safety inspection of a newly installed appliance.
- Fines: bylaw notice $200 ($160 within 14 days, $240 after 28 days); municipal ticket $200. You may also be billed for the Fire Department response. The bylaw says $500 per hour for a fire engine and crew; the municipal ticket schedule says $600. Ask the City which applies.

## Official forms and pages

- [Fire, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/safety/fire)
- [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931 (PDF)](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349)

## Related questions

- [Colwood yard waste collection and drop-off](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/yard-waste.md)
- [Colwood fireworks rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/fireworks.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-fire.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/backyard-fire.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/backyard-fire.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/backyard-fire.md)
- [Victoria](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/backyard-fire.md)
- [Metchosin](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/backyard-fire.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/backyard-fire.md)

## Sources

- [Fire, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/safety/fire) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Outdoor Burning Restriction and Regulation Bylaw No. 931, 2007 (PDF), City of Colwood](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/2349) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Branch Drop-Off Program, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/branch-drop-program) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1911, 2021 (consolidated to March 9, 2026) (PDF), City of Colwood](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/187475) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1314, 2010 (consolidated to April 8, 2022) (PDF), City of Colwood](https://colwood.civicweb.net/document/1091) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Rates & Accepted Items, Capital Regional District](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/hartland-landfill/rates-accepted-items) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Colwood. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/backyard-fire/_