---
title: Sechelt backyard fire and burning rules
question: "Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Sechelt?"
place: Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/sechelt
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: District of Sechelt
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/backyard-fire/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/backyard-fire.json"
---

# Sechelt backyard fire and burning rules

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

**Short answer:** In Sechelt, campfires are allowed if they burn only clean, dry wood, are no more than 1 m wide and 1 m high, and are in a fire pit or approved incinerator tended by someone 18 or older. Burning yard waste, garbage and construction waste is prohibited. No campfire permit is mentioned.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Sechelt, https://www.sechelt.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit or fee for campfires is mentioned. Bylaw notices: burning prohibited material $300 first offence, $400 second, $500 third and later; open fire contrary to the bylaw $300 / $400 / $500; burning within required setbacks $200; land clearing burning $400; open fire without permit $200. On conviction the bylaw allows up to $10,000 or six months, or both.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement, 604-885-1986 ext. 2
- In person: Municipal Hall, 2nd Floor, 5797 Cowrie Street, Sechelt, BC V0N 3A0 (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (the District page does not give the days of the week))
- Online: Provincial fire bans and restrictions, https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions

## Key facts

- **Backyard campfires:** Campfires are allowed if they burn clean, dry wood only, do not exceed 1 m wide or 1 m high, and are in a fire pit or approved incinerator clear of overhanging foliage, with access to a water hose and tended by someone 18 or older. They must not create a smoke or spark nuisance for neighbours.
  - Source: [Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 2 Campfire; s. 3(5)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Campfire means a fire that burns clean, dry wood only and which does not exceed one metre" … "in diameter and one metre in height, contained within a fire pit or approved incinerator." … "creates a smoke or spark nuisance to neighbouring properties" … "Campfires shall be contained in a fire pit or approved incinerator, clear of" … "overhanging foliage, have access to a water hose and be tended by someone" … "18 years of age or older."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Burning yard waste:** No. Burning garden refuse (grass, leaves, pruning), garbage, construction waste, demolition waste and toxic materials is prohibited. The land-clearing burn allowance ended January 1, 2014. Open air burning may not be started within 10 m of a building, fence, hedge, stream or power line, within 30 m of a public road, or within 500 m of a school in session or hospital.
  - Source: [Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 3(1)-(3)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No person shall start, permit an Outdoor Fire or maintain Open Air Burning" … "Garden Refuse" … "On January 1, 2014 Section 2 of this bylaw shall no longer apply." … "within 10 metres of any Building, structure, fence or hedge;" … "within 30 metres of any public roadway and/or District of Sechelt Airport;" … "exceeding 1.5 metres in height and 2 meters in diameter;" … "within 500 metres of schools in session, hospitals and facilities used"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Fire bans:** The Sechelt bylaw does not describe fire bans. BC Wildfire Service open fire orders usually do not apply inside municipal boundaries; municipalities typically set their own prohibitions, so check with the District too. The bylaw bars campfires that contravene federal, provincial or Fire Department rules.
  - Source: [Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), ss. 3(5)(a), 4(a)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf)
  - Official wording: "contravenes any Federal, Provincial or Fire Department regulations" … "may require any person to" … "extinguish open air burning which has been set out, started or kindled in breach"
  - Source: [Fire bans and restrictions, Province of British Columbia, Within municipal boundaries](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions)
  - Official wording: "Municipalities typically implement their own open fire prohibitions that may follow or vary from BCWS prohibitions." … "Typically, BCWS open fire prohibition and equipment/activity prohibition orders will specify that they do not apply within municipal boundaries, with certain exceptions."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Instead of burning:** Yard waste goes out weekly in paper yard waste bags (up to three bags a week). Extra bags can be taken to Salish Soils, 5646 Schetxwen Rd, where yard waste can be dumped at no cost.
  - Source: [Garbage and Recycling, Garbage and Recycling page](https://www.sechelt.ca/living-here/garbage-and-recycling/)
  - Official wording: "All Yard Waste must be contained in paper yard waste collection bag or neatly bundled with compostable string." … "Residents can put out a limit of three paper yard waste bags each week." … "take them to Salish Soils where you can dump yard waste at no cost."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: burning prohibited material $300 first offence, $400 second, $500 third and later; open fire contrary to the bylaw $300 / $400 / $500; burning within required setbacks $200; land clearing burning $400; open fire without permit $200. On conviction the bylaw allows up to $10,000 or six months, or both.
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026), Schedule A, Open Air Burning Bylaw](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf)
  - Official wording: "486, 2012 Section 3 Land Clearing Burning $400 No" … "Burning within required setbacks $200 No" … "1st offence $300" … "2nd offence $400" … "3rd and further offences $500"
  - Source: [Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 5](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf)
  - Official wording: "liable to a fine of not more than $10,000.00 or to imprisonment for not more than six months,"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** District of Sechelt Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012
  - Source: [Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026), s. 1](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as "District of Sechelt Open Air Burning Bylaw No."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Open Air Burning Bylaw 486](<https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf>) allows campfires that:

- burn clean, dry wood only
- are no more than 1 m wide and 1 m high
- are in a fire pit or approved incinerator, clear of overhanging foliage
- have access to a water hose
- are tended by someone 18 or older
- do not create a smoke or spark nuisance for neighbours

No permit is mentioned for campfires. The land-clearing burn allowance ended January 1, 2014.

## Good to know

- Burning garden refuse (grass, leaves, pruning), garbage, construction waste, demolition waste and toxic materials is prohibited.
- Open air burning may not be started within 10 m of a building, fence, hedge, stream or power line, within 30 m of a public road, or within 500 m of a school in session or a hospital.
- The bylaw does not describe fire bans. BC Wildfire Service fire orders usually do not apply inside municipal boundaries, and municipalities set their own, so check the current status with the District (Municipal Hall, 604-885-1986) as well as the [Province's page](<https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions>). The bylaw also bars campfires that contravene federal, provincial or Fire Department rules.
- Instead of burning yard waste, put it out weekly in paper yard waste bags (up to three bags a week), or take extra bags to Salish Soils, 5646 Schetxwen Rd, where yard waste can be dumped at no cost.
- Fines are in the cost field above. No early or late amounts are set.

## Official forms and pages

- [Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf)
- [Fire bans and restrictions, Province of British Columbia](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions)
- [Garbage and Recycling, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/living-here/garbage-and-recycling/)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf)

## Related questions

- [Sechelt yard waste collection and drop-off](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/yard-waste.md)
- [Sechelt fireworks rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/fireworks.md)
- [Sechelt bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/bylaw-fines.md)
- [Sechelt noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sechelt/noise-rules.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-fire.md)
- [Gibsons](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/backyard-fire.md)
- [Bowen Island](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-fire.md)
- [Lantzville](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lantzville/backyard-fire.md)
- [Nanaimo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nanaimo/backyard-fire.md)
- [Lions Bay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/backyard-fire.md)
- [West Vancouver](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/backyard-fire.md)

## Sources

- [Open Air Burning Bylaw No. 486, 2012 (consolidated April 2026) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/5i0fl14p/486-2012-open-air-burning-bylaw-consolidaton.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Fire bans and restrictions, Province of British Columbia](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/fire-bans-and-restrictions) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Garbage and Recycling, District of Sechelt](https://www.sechelt.ca/living-here/garbage-and-recycling/) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Implementation Bylaw No. 515, 2012 (consolidated February 2026) (PDF)](https://www.sechelt.ca/media/d0ibsbhf/515-2012-bylaw-notice-enforcement-implementation-consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Yard Waste Guide 2023, District of Sechelt (PDF)](https://media-003-ca.cdn.govstack.com/sechelt-ca/media/mqomipju/2023-yardwasteprogram.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)

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