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

# Langley City backyard fire and burning rules

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

**Short answer:** No. The City of Langley's Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw prohibits open burning, including garden refuse and land-clearing material, and bans campfires unless the Fire Chief gives special approval. Only a portable appliance made solely for cooking food and fuelled by propane, natural gas, charcoal or wood pellets is allowed.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Langley, https://www.langleycity.ca)  
**Cost:** No ticket amount confirmed under the current bylaw. Court fine: $5,000 to $50,000. Campfires at public events by permit: $85.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Fire Rescue Service (fire and life safety questions), 604-514-2852
- Email: Fire Rescue Service, fireinfo@langleycity.ca
- In person: Langley City Fire Hall, 5785 203 Street, Langley, BC

## Key facts

- **Backyard campfires:** No. No person may light, fuel or use a campfire in the City unless the Fire Chief gives special approval. No open-air fire of any kind is allowed except in a portable appliance made solely for cooking food and fuelled by propane, natural gas, charcoal or wood pellets. Outdoor heating appliances must run on electricity, propane or natural gas.
  - Source: [Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330, ss. 43(1), 44, 37](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/bylaw3330-fireprotectionandsafetybylaw-sept-23-2026pdf)
  - Official wording: "A person must not light , fuel or use a campfire within the City of Langley unless special" … "approval has been provided by the Fire Chief." … "fire of any kind whatsoever and for" … "fueled by propane, natural gas or charcoal, or wood pellets." … "Is powered by electricity, or fuelled by propane or natural gas;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Burning yard waste:** Not allowed. Burning garden refuse (grass, leaves, pruning), land-clearing material (stumps, branches), construction waste and prohibited materials in the open air is prohibited. The Solid Waste Bylaw also bans burning solid waste anywhere in the City.
  - Source: [Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330, s. 43(2)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/bylaw3330-fireprotectionandsafetybylaw-sept-23-2026pdf)
  - Official wording: "garden refuse, including, without limitation, grass clippings, leaves, tree and" … "land clearing materials, including, without limitation, stumps and branches;" … "is prohibited."
  - Source: [Solid Waste Bylaw, 2016, No. 2991 (consolidated December 9, 2024), s. 3(8)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/solid-waste-bylaw-no-2991-consolidated-december-9-2024)
  - Official wording: "No person shall burn or cause or allow to be burned any Solid Waste refuse or"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit:** Not available for ordinary backyard burning: it is prohibited. The Fire Chief may approve special-circumstance fires in writing in advance, ceremonial fires (First Nation approval, 24 hours' notice) and campfires at public events by permit ($85 'Campfires for Special events' in the Fees and Charges Bylaw).
  - Source: [Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330, ss. 60(1)(d), 45(1)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/bylaw3330-fireprotectionandsafetybylaw-sept-23-2026pdf)
  - Official wording: "(d) With approval of the Fire Chief, the use of campfires public events." … "The person provides the Fire Chief with an approval confirmation from the" … "The person provides notification and approval at least 24 hours before the" … "fires for special circumstances and approved in advance in writing by the" … "With approval of the Fire Chief, the use of campfires public events."
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw 2837, Schedule 8 (consolidated December 15, 2025)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/feesandchargesbylaw2837consolidateddec-15-2025pdf-3)
  - Official wording: "Campfires for Special events $85.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fire bans:** None set. The Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw sets out no fire bans because open burning is prohibited at all times.
- **Instead of burning:** Yard waste goes in the green organics cart collected weekly. An extra yard waste paper-bag pilot runs October 19 to November 27, 2026. Yard trimmings can be taken to the Metro Vancouver Langley Recycling and Waste Centre, 1070 - 272nd Street, Langley Township.
  - Source: [Organics](https://www.langleycity.ca/city-services/garbage-organics-and-recycling/organics)
  - Official wording: "Food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard waste belong in your green organics cart." … "Extra yard waste pilot program returns October 19 to November 27"
  - Source: [Langley Recycling and Waste Centre Visitor Guide, Metro Vancouver, Visitor guide](https://metrovancouver.org/services/solid-waste/Documents/langley-recycling-and-waste-centre-visitor-guide.pdf)
  - Official wording: "1070 – 272nd Street, Langley Township" … "Yard trimmings"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Bylaw:** Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330
  - Source: [Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330, s. 1](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/bylaw3330-fireprotectionandsafetybylaw-sept-23-2026pdf)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw shall be cited as the “Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330”."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The City of Langley's [Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/bylaw3330-fireprotectionandsafetybylaw-sept-23-2026pdf) (No. 3330, adopted March 23, 2026) says no one may light, fuel or use a campfire in the City unless the Fire Chief gives special approval. No open-air fire of any kind is allowed except in a portable appliance made solely for cooking food, fuelled by propane, natural gas, charcoal or wood pellets. Outdoor heating appliances must run on electricity, propane or natural gas. The bylaw sets no allowed size for a backyard fire, and a wood fire pit is not within the cooking exception.

## Steps

1. Do not burn yard waste. Put grass, leaves and clippings in your green organics cart, which is collected weekly.
2. For extra yard waste, see the yard waste answer, or take it to the Metro Vancouver Langley Recycling and Waste Centre, 1070 - 272nd Street, Langley Township.
3. For a special-circumstance fire, ask the Fire Chief for written approval in advance. Call 604-514-2852 or email fireinfo@langleycity.ca.

## Good to know

- Burning garden refuse, land-clearing material, construction waste and prohibited materials in the open air is prohibited. The [Solid Waste Bylaw](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/solid-waste-bylaw-no-2991-consolidated-december-9-2024) also bans burning solid waste anywhere in the City.
- Exceptions: fire training, fires needed for public safety, and special-circumstance fires the Fire Chief approves in writing in advance. Ceremonial fires need First Nation approval and 24 hours' notice. A campfire at a public event needs a permit ($85).
- The bylaw does not set out fire bans, because open burning is prohibited at all times.
- The ticket schedule still names the repealed 2009 fire bylaw, so we could not confirm a current ticket amount. A court fine is $5,000 to $50,000.

## Official forms and pages

- [Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330 (PDF)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/bylaw3330-fireprotectionandsafetybylaw-sept-23-2026pdf)
- [Organics, City of Langley](https://www.langleycity.ca/city-services/garbage-organics-and-recycling/organics)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-fire.md)
- [Township of Langley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley-township/backyard-fire.md)
- [Surrey](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/surrey/backyard-fire.md)
- [White Rock](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/white-rock/backyard-fire.md)
- [Port Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-coquitlam/backyard-fire.md)
- [Coquitlam](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coquitlam/backyard-fire.md)
- [New Westminster](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-westminster/backyard-fire.md)

## Sources

- [Fire Protection and Safety Bylaw, 2026, No. 3330 (PDF)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/bylaw3330-fireprotectionandsafetybylaw-sept-23-2026pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Solid Waste Bylaw, 2016, No. 2991 (consolidated December 9, 2024) (PDF)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/solid-waste-bylaw-no-2991-consolidated-december-9-2024) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw 2837, Schedule 8 (consolidated December 15, 2025) (PDF)](https://www.langleycity.ca/media/file/feesandchargesbylaw2837consolidateddec-15-2025pdf-3) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Organics, City of Langley](https://www.langleycity.ca/city-services/garbage-organics-and-recycling/organics) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Langley Recycling and Waste Centre Visitor Guide, Metro Vancouver (PDF)](https://metrovancouver.org/services/solid-waste/Documents/langley-recycling-and-waste-centre-visitor-guide.pdf) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Fire Rescue Service, City of Langley](https://www.langleycity.ca/city-services/public-safety/fire-rescue-service) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Langley. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langley/backyard-fire/_