Saanich backyard fire and burning rules
Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Saanich?
No. In Saanich, open-air burning is banned unless the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw allows it, including wood in a fire pit or outdoor fireplace. Propane, natural gas and charcoal cooking appliances are allowed. Garden refuse may be burned only outside the Urban Containment Boundary, October 16 to April 30.
Key facts
| Backyard campfires | No. Open-air burning is banned unless the bylaw allows it, including wood in a fire pit, chiminea or outdoor fireplace, and beach fires. Allowed: propane or natural gas appliances, and charcoal cooking appliances. Exception: a Halloween bonfire on October 31 only, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., with a $10 permit.Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712, ss. 13, 15; Outdoor Burning, Outdoor Burning page; Halloween Bonfires and Fireworks · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingOpen-Air burning is prohibited unless expressly permitted by this bylaw all Beach Fires are prohibited a fire fuelled solely by propane, natural gas, charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal Burning wood in an outdoor fire pit, fireplace, pizza oven or chiminea. You may have a Halloween bonfire on October 31 only, between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. A special $10 bonfire permit is required. |
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| Burning yard waste | Not allowed inside the Urban Containment Boundary. Outside it, on private land, garden refuse from that property may be burned October 16 to April 30, Fridays sunrise to sunset and Saturdays sunrise to noon; one fire at a time, under 1 m across, 7.6 m from buildings, fences and property lines, supervised by someone 19 or older. No burning May 1 to October 15.Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712, ss. 18, 19; Outdoor Burning, Outdoor Burning page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingOpen-Air burning is not permitted within the Urban Containment Boundary may only take place from and including 16 October of one calendar Fridays from sunrise to sunset, and be supervised at all times by a responsible person 19 years of age or older be located 7.6 metres (25 feet) from any Building or structure, wooden fence all open burning is Saanich is not permitted from May 1 until October 15 inclusive |
| Permit | No permit for one pile under 1 m across burned on the allowed days. A $10 open-air burning permit allows a pile up to 2 m, valid up to 7 days, any day sunrise to sunset. Available at the fire stations. The Fire Chief may refuse a permit.Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712, ss. 19(b), 21, Appendix A; Outdoor Burning, Outdoor Burning page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingNo Permit is required for such Open-Air burning unless the fire exceeds 1 metre (3 feet) in diameter shall be valid for a maximum of seven days from the date of issue The cost of any Permit issued pursuant to section 21 shall be $10 may, in its discretion, refuse to issue Fire Station No. 1, 760 Vernon Avenue, (250) 475-5500 Permit fee is $10. |
| Fire bans | The Fire Chief can order any or all open-air burning prohibited, for the whole municipality or an area, for set dates. Notice goes on the District website, to local media and at municipal offices. Burning is already banned every year May 1 to October 15.Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712, s. 22 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingthe Fire Chief may order that any or all burning in the Open-Air Notice of any such ban shall be posted on the Corporation’s website |
| Instead of burning | Yard trimmings (leaves, grass, prunings, plants, branches) go in the green organics cart collected every two weeks, or to the Yard and Garden Waste Drop-off, 1040 McKenzie Ave (Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). A fall leaf collection also runs.Sources differ: The Outdoor Burning page gives the drop-off address as 1010 McKenzie Avenue; every other Saanich page and the bylaw say 1040 McKenzie Ave, so 1040 is used.Organics: Kitchen Scraps and Yard Trimmings, Organics page; Garden Recycling Drop-off, Drop-off page; Greener Garbage Collection, Greener Garbage page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingWe accept items such as leaves, grass clippings, prunings, plants, and branches. Location: 1040 McKenzie Ave Monday to Saturday: Open (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) One for organics to include kitchen scraps and your yard and garden waste. |
| Fine | Municipal ticket: $150 within 30 days, $200 after, for burning without a permit or unauthorized garden-refuse burning; $200/$250 for burning prohibited materials. Bylaw notice: $150 (or $200 for prohibited materials), less $50 if paid within 14 days.Sources differ: The Halloween Bonfires page says a ticket for a fire without a permit is $100; the Ticket Bylaw (consolidated through Amendment 10278) says $150, so the bylaw is followed. Bylaw offence fine on conviction: up to $50,000 (s. 63).Ticket Bylaw, 2010, No. 9029, Schedule 26; Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2018, No. 9525, Schedule 26; Halloween Bonfires and Fireworks, Halloween Bonfires page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingOpen Air burning without a permit 13 $150.00 $200.00 Burning Prohibited Materials 14 $200.00 $250.00 Unauthorized Open Air Burning of 19 $150.00 $200.00 Open Air burning without a 13 $150.00 Burning Prohibited Materials $200.00 A municipal ticket for $100 will be issued for any fires without permits. |
| Bylaw | Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712, title · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06Official wordingFIRE PREVENTION AND LIFE SAFETY BYLAW, 2021, NO. 9712 |
How it works
Under the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712, open-air burning is banned unless the bylaw allows it. That includes wood in a fire pit, chiminea or outdoor fireplace, and beach fires. Propane or natural gas appliances and charcoal cooking appliances are allowed.
Garden refuse. Burning is not allowed inside the Urban Containment Boundary. Outside it, on private land, garden refuse from that property may be burned from October 16 to April 30, on Fridays from sunrise to sunset and Saturdays from sunrise to noon. One fire at a time, under 1 m across, 7.6 m from buildings, fences and property lines, supervised by someone 19 or older. No burning from May 1 to October 15.
Permits. No permit is needed for one pile under 1 m across burned on the allowed days. A $10 open-air burning permit allows a pile up to 2 m, valid up to 7 days, any day from sunrise to sunset, from the fire stations. The Fire Chief may refuse a permit.
Halloween. A bonfire is allowed on October 31 only, from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., with a $10 permit.
Fire bans. The Fire Chief can prohibit any or all open-air burning, for the whole municipality or an area, for set dates. Notice goes on the District website, to local media and at municipal offices.
Steps
- Instead of burning, put yard trimmings in the green organics cart (collected every two weeks) or take them to the Yard and Garden Waste Drop-off, 1040 McKenzie Ave.
- For burning questions, call the Saanich Fire Department non-emergency line, 250-475-6111.
Good to know
- Burning without a permit or unauthorized garden-refuse burning: a municipal ticket is $150 within 30 days and $200 after; a bylaw notice is $150 (less $50 if paid within 14 days). Burning prohibited materials is $200/$250 as a ticket, or $200 as a bylaw notice.
- The Halloween Bonfires and Fireworks page says a no-permit ticket is $100. The bylaw is followed here.
- The Outdoor Burning page gives the drop-off address as 1010 McKenzie Avenue; every other page and the bylaw say 1040.
- The Outdoor Burning page asks people to skip burning on poor-venting days posted daily by the Ministry of Environment.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Oak Bay · Esquimalt · Victoria · View Royal · Central Saanich · Colwood
Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Bylaw enforcement FAQ | District of Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Fire Prevention and Life Safety Bylaw, 2021, No. 9712 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
- Outdoor Burning, District of Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Halloween Bonfires and Fireworks, District of Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Garden Recycling Drop-off, District of Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Greener Garbage Collection, District of Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Organics: Kitchen Scraps and Yard Trimmings, District of Saanich (read 2026-11-06)
- Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw, 2018, No. 9525 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
- Ticket Bylaw, 2010, No. 9029 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.