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

# Parksville backyard fire and burning rules

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

**Short answer:** No. Parksville's Outdoor Burning Bylaw 1428 prohibits all open burning at all times, including garden refuse, and there is no burning permit. Cooking fires in a barbecue or fire pit up to 0.5 square metres with a grate, and outdoor fireplaces with a grate and screen, are exempt. The Fire Chief can ban even those.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Parksville, https://www.parksville.ca)  
**Cost:** Bylaw notice for a prohibited fire $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days, $250 if paid late). Municipal ticket $150. Court fine up to $2,000.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Parksville Fire Rescue, 250-248-3242
- Email: Parksville Fire Rescue, fire@parksville.ca
- Email: Bylaw Compliance, bylaw@parksville.ca

## Key facts

- **Backyard campfires:** Open campfires are not allowed. Exempt: fires in a barbecue, hibachi or fire pit up to 0.5 m² with a grate, for cooking food; and an outdoor fireplace (grate and screen) no bigger than 0.5 m across, wide and deep and 1.8 m high. A person 18 or older must be present.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Bylaw No. 1428, 2007 (consolidated to 1428.4), ss. 2, 4(a), 4(b), 5.1](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596)
  - Official wording: "All Open Burning and Outdoor Fires are prohibited at all times, within the boundaries of the" … "fire pits having a surface area not greater than 0.5 square metres and covered by a grate, for" … "Outdoor Fireplace having a maximum diameter of 0.5 metres, a maximum width of 0.5 metres, a maximum" … "a person eighteen" … "years of age or older is, at all times, present at the burning site" … "contained in a non- combustible device, covered by a grate and protected by a screen and includes outdoor hearths"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Burning yard waste:** No. All open burning is prohibited at all times in the City. No one may burn garden refuse, general clearing waste, debris, domestic waste, garbage or noxious materials in an open fire, incinerator or similar device. The former agricultural clearing waste exemption was removed in 2015.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Bylaw No. 1428, 2007 (consolidated to 1428.4), ss. 2 and 3](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596)
  - Official wording: "All Open Burning and Outdoor Fires are prohibited at all times, within the boundaries of the" … "No person shall burn agricultural clearing waste, animal organic waste, debris, demolition" … "waste, domestic waste materials, garbage, garden refuse, general clearing waste and/or" … "Bylaw 1428.3 adopted August 17, 2015, deleted Sections 4.1 and 4.2 in their entirety."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit:** None set. Parksville has no burning permit under its Outdoor Burning Bylaw.
- **Fire bans:** The Fire Chief may, at his or her sole discretion, impose a complete ban on campfires and any other burning normally exempted under the bylaw, if weather conditions or a high fire hazard warrants it.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Bylaw No. 1428, 2007 (consolidated to 1428.4), s. 8](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596)
  - Official wording: "The Fire Chief at his sole discretion may implement a complete ban on campfires, and any other" … "type of burning that is normally exempted under this bylaw, if weather conditions or a high" … "risk of fire hazard warrants it."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Instead of burning:** Yard waste can go in the green organics cart (weekly): leaves, grass and light trimmings no thicker than 1.5 cm and no longer than 60 cm. Larger branches: the City's annual wood chipping program (branches to 15 cm across, piled on the boulevard), or the Church Road Transfer Station (860 Church Road).
  - Source: [Curbside Collection Program Overview, Regional District of Nanaimo, Curbside Expanded Organics](https://www.rdn.bc.ca/curbside-collection)
  - Official wording: "Leaves, grass, and light trimmings are accepted." … "No larger than 1.5 cm (0.5 inches) in diameter; and,"
  - Source: [Wood Chipping Program](https://www.parksville.ca/cms.asp?wpID=179)
  - Official wording: "Branches with a maximum diameter of 6 inches (15 cm)" … "should be taken to the Church Road Transfer Station, 860 Church Road, Parksville."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice for a prohibited fire: $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days; $250 late). Municipal ticket schedule (2012): $150. Court fine up to $2,000.
  - Source: [Bylaw Offence Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1486, Schedule A, Schedule A, Outdoor Burning Bylaw s. 2](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/2814)
  - Official wording: "Prohibited Fire $200.00 $150.00 $250.00"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1478, Appendix 7](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1121)
  - Official wording: "Prohibited Fire 2 $150.00"
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Bylaw No. 1428, 2007 (consolidated to 1428.4), s. 9](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596)
  - Official wording: "be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding Two Thousand Dollars"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Outdoor Burning Bylaw, 2007, No. 1428
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning Bylaw No. 1428, 2007 (consolidated to 1428.4), s. 11](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596)
  - Official wording: "This bylaw may be cited as "Outdoor Burning Bylaw, 2007, No. 1428"."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

Under the [Outdoor Burning Bylaw 1428](<https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596>), all open burning is prohibited at all times in the City. No one may burn garden refuse, general clearing waste, debris, domestic waste, garbage or noxious materials in an open fire, incinerator or similar device. There is no burning permit, and the former agricultural clearing waste exemption was removed in 2015.

## Steps

1. For cooking, use a barbecue, hibachi or fire pit up to 0.5 square metres with a grate.
2. For a decorative fire, use an outdoor fireplace: covered by a grate and protected by a screen, no bigger than 0.5 m across, wide and deep and 1.8 m high.
3. Have a person 18 or older present at the fire.
4. For yard waste, see the yard waste answer.

## Good to know

- Open campfires are not allowed. The campfire exemption covers only permanent approved campsite fireplaces in a provincial park or supervised commercial campground.
- Beach fires were removed from the bylaw in 2016, and the Parks bylaw bans fires in parks without the City's written authorization.
- The Fire Chief may, at his or her sole discretion, impose a complete ban on campfires and other normally exempt burning when weather or a high fire hazard warrants it. Ask Parksville Fire Rescue (250-248-3242, fire@parksville.ca) about current status.
- A bylaw notice for a prohibited fire is $200 ($150 if paid within 14 days, $250 if paid late). A municipal ticket is $150. A court fine is up to $2,000.
- Yard waste can go in the green organics cart. Larger branches go to the City's wood chipping program or the Church Road Transfer Station, 860 Church Road.

## Official forms and pages

- [Outdoor Burning Bylaw 1428 (consolidated PDF)](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596)
- [Parksville Fire Rescue](https://www.parksville.ca/cms.asp?wpID=63)

## Related questions

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

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-fire.md)
- [Qualicum Beach](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/backyard-fire.md)
- [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/backyard-fire.md)
- [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/backyard-fire.md)
- [Port Alberni](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/backyard-fire.md)
- [Sechelt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/backyard-fire.md)
- [Ladysmith](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ladysmith/backyard-fire.md)

## Sources

- [Outdoor Burning Bylaw No. 1428, 2007 (consolidated to 1428.4)](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1596) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Parksville Fire Rescue, City of Parksville](https://www.parksville.ca/cms.asp?wpID=63) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Wood Chipping Program, City of Parksville](https://www.parksville.ca/cms.asp?wpID=179) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Curbside Collection Program Overview, Regional District of Nanaimo](https://www.rdn.bc.ca/curbside-collection) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 1478 (PDF)](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/1121) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Offence Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1486, Schedule A](https://parksville.civicweb.net/document/2814) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Parksville. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/parksville/backyard-fire/_