{"title":"Montrose backyard fire and burning rules","question":"Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Montrose?","slug":"backyard-fire","place":{"path":"ca/bc/montrose","name":"Montrose","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"bylaws-and-complaints","name":"Bylaws, noise and complaints"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca"},"short_answer":"In Montrose, open burning and burning yard waste are not allowed. A backyard campfire is allowed only with a $15 Residential Campfire Permit from the Village office, valid January 1 to December 31, and only when no fire ban is in force.","aliases":["campfire permit montrose","backyard fire montrose","burning bylaw montrose","fire pit montrose"],"cost":"Residential Campfire Permit: $15. Fines on conviction: $500 for open burning without a permit; $250 for not following the permit terms.","how_long":"The permit is valid January 1 to December 31.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Village Office","value":"565 11th Ave., Montrose, BC V0G 1P0","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed statutory holidays)"},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250-367-7234"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"fireworks","title":"Montrose fireworks rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/fireworks/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Montrose bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/fruitvale","name":"Fruitvale","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/trail","name":"Trail","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/warfield","name":"Warfield","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/rossland","name":"Rossland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/castlegar","name":"Castlegar","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/salmo","name":"Salmo","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/backyard-fire/"}],"topic":{"title":"Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-fire/"},"facts":{"campfires":{"label":"Backyard campfires","value":"Allowed with a yearly Residential Campfire Permit: in the backyard, in a fire pit no wider than 0.5 m, at least 4 m from trees, shrubs, structures and debris, always attended, with water or a shovel at hand, burning clean firewood only, and not on windy days.","short":"Yes, with a yearly permit, pit up to 0.5 m","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 4(3)","quotes":["May only be started and maintained in a fire pit which must have a diameter that is no larger than 0.5 m;","Must be located at least four meters from trees, shrubs, structures and debris;","Must be located in the backyard of the property;","Only clean firewood can be used in the campfire."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"open_burning":{"label":"Burning yard waste","value":"Not allowed. Open burning is prohibited, and yard waste burning is expressly prohibited.","short":"No","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 3(1)","quotes":["No person shall engage in Open Burning. For certainty, yard waste burning is prohibited."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"permit":{"label":"Permit","value":"Yes, for a campfire. A Residential Campfire Permit costs $15 and is valid January 1 to December 31. Buy it at the Village municipal office; the application needs a photo of the fire pit, and the permit must be displayed at the campfire site.","short":"Yes, $15","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 4(1)-(2)","quotes":["at a cost of fifteen dollars","($15.00) from the Village Municipal office prior to having a campfire and","must include a photograph","of the fire pit"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fire_bans":{"label":"Fire bans","value":"Before lighting a campfire, check the current fire ban and restriction guidelines of BC Wildfire Service, Southeast Fire Centre (Kootenay Boundary Region). If a ban is issued, the campfire permit is voided until the ban is lifted. The Fire Chief can also declare a general ban.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 4(4); Schedule C; s. 2","quotes":["All persons must refer to the British Columbia Wildfire Services,","FIRE BAN IS ISSUED BY THE BC WILDFIRE SERVICE, SOUTHEAST FIRE CENTRE YOUR CAMPFIRE PERMIT IS VOIDED","“Ban” means a general prohibition declared by the Fire Chief"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"alternatives":{"label":"Instead of burning","value":"The Village page lists seasonal spring and fall yard waste removal and a Green Bin collection (an RDKB service, contracted to GFL).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/curbside-pickups/","title":"Curbside Pickups, Village of Montrose","section":"What's Included","quotes":["Spring & Fall yard waste removal (seasonal)","Green Bin collection (RDKB service) – Contracted to GFL"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"No ticket system found. Fines on conviction under the Offence Act: open burning without a Residential Campfire Permit $500; failing to follow the permit terms and conditions $250.","short":"No ticket; $500 in court","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"Schedule A","quotes":["Open Burning Without a Residential Campfire Permit 4(1) $500.00","Failure to follow terms and conditions of Residential Campfire Permit 4(5) $250.00","Open Burning Without a Residential Campfire Permit","prosecution under the Offence Act and be liable, upon conviction, to a"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Fire Prevention Bylaw #786, 2024","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","section":"s. 1","quotes":["Fire Prevention Bylaw # 786, 2024"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":7,"stated":7,"matched":7,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder the Village's [Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786](<https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf>), open burning is prohibited and burning yard waste is expressly prohibited. Open burning means burning without a device that allows controlled combustion or without a stack or chimney. A backyard campfire is allowed with a yearly Residential Campfire Permit.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Buy the permit at the Village municipal office. The application needs a photo of your fire pit.\n2. Display the permit at the campfire site.\n3. Use a fire pit no wider than 0.5 m, at least 4 m from trees, shrubs, structures and debris.\n4. Stay with the fire, keep water or a shovel at hand, burn clean firewood only, and do not burn on windy days.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Before lighting, check the current fire ban and restriction guidelines of BC Wildfire Service, Southeast Fire Centre. If a ban is issued, the permit is void until it is lifted. The Fire Chief can also declare a general ban.\n- Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue or the Village can cancel a permit, and a cancelled permit cannot be renewed.\n- Barbecues are allowed in open yard space unless the Fire Chief has declared a ban, and always on a deck, verandah or patio.\n- Fines on conviction: $500 for open burning without a permit, $250 for not following the permit terms.\n- For yard waste, the Village lists seasonal spring and fall yard waste removal and a Green Bin collection run by the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/786-Fire-Prevention-Bylaw.pdf","title":"Fire Prevention Bylaw No. 786, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.montrose.ca/curbside-pickups/","title":"Curbside Pickups, Village of Montrose","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/backyard-fire/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/backyard-fire.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/backyard-fire.json"}}