{"title":"Sidney backyard fire and burning rules","question":"Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Sidney?","slug":"backyard-fire","place":{"path":"ca/bc/sidney","name":"Sidney","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":"Town of Sidney","url":"https://www.sidney.ca"},"short_answer":"No. Sidney does not allow open burning, including wood-burning fires and beach fires. The Fire Department says propane and charcoal fire pits are permitted. A bylaw notice for prohibited burning is $325; a municipal ticket is $325.","aliases":["backyard fire pit sidney","campfire bylaw sidney bc","propane fire pit sidney","burning yard waste sidney"],"cost":"Prohibited burning: bylaw notice $325 ($250 within 14 days, $390 after 28 days); municipal ticket $325 ($250 within 30 days). No permit is issued for ordinary backyard burning.","how_long":"not applicable","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Sidney Fire Department","value":"250-656-2121"},{"type":"email","label":"Sidney Fire Department","value":"firedept@sidney.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Fire Services, Town of Sidney","url":"https://www.sidney.ca/services/emergency-services/fire-services/"},{"title":"Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087 (PDF)","url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2087-Fire-Dept-Fire-Regs.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"yard-waste","title":"Sidney yard waste collection and drop-off","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/yard-waste/"},{"slug":"fireworks","title":"Sidney fireworks rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/fireworks/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Sidney bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/north-saanich","name":"North Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/central-saanich","name":"Central Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/highlands","name":"Highlands","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/saanich","name":"Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/backyard-fire/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/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":"Wood-burning fires are not permitted in Sidney, including beach fires. The Fire Department says propane and charcoal fire pits are permitted.","short":"No wood fires","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2087-Fire-Dept-Fire-Regs.pdf","title":"Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016 (PDF)","section":"s. 39","quotes":["Burning within the Town of Sidney is not permitted.","as well as beach fires."]},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/services/emergency-services/fire-services/","title":"Fire Services, Town of Sidney","section":"FAQs","quotes":["Wood burning within the Town of Sidney is not permitted.","Propane and charcoal fire pits are permitted."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"open_burning":{"label":"Burning yard waste","value":"Not allowed. The bylaw prohibits burning of residential, construction site, demolition site or land-clearing waste.","short":"No","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2087-Fire-Dept-Fire-Regs.pdf","title":"Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016 (PDF)","section":"s. 39","quotes":["This prohibition includes the burning","of residential, construction site, demolition site or land-clearing waste"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"permit":{"label":"Permit","value":"No permit is issued for ordinary backyard burning. The Fire Chief or Fire Prevention Officer may issue special permits for fires at community events such as Halloween or July 1st.","short":"No for backyard burning","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2087-Fire-Dept-Fire-Regs.pdf","title":"Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016 (PDF)","section":"s. 39(a)","quotes":["Special permits for fires at community events, such as Halloween, July 1st, etc. may","be issued at the discretion of the Fire Chief or Fire Prevention Officer."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fire_bans":{"label":"Fire bans","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"The Town's pages describe no separate fire ban procedure.","sources":[]},"alternatives":{"label":"Instead of burning","value":"Curbside yard and garden waste collection for homes on the Town's Full Service refuse plan, or drop-off at regional facilities (Peninsula Landscape Supplies, DL's Recycling Centre, Hartland Landfill, Farm to Garden Organics).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/services/garbage-recycle/yard-and-garden-waste","title":"Yard and Garden Waste, Town of Sidney","section":"Collection Information; Other Yard Waste Options","quotes":["Yard Waste collection takes place twice per month.","there are a few regional facilities that accept yard and garden waste."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Prohibited burning (s. 39): bylaw notice $325 ($250 if paid within 14 days; $390 after 28 days). Municipal ticket: $325 ($250 if paid within 30 days).","short":"Notice $325 ($250 if paid in 14 days); ticket $325","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2239-Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-CON.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2239 (PDF)","section":"Schedule C, Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, s. 39","quotes":["Prohibited 39 $325.00 $250.00 $390.00"]},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2180-MTI-consolidated.pdf","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2180 (PDF)","section":"Schedule 5, s. 39","quotes":["Prohibited Burning 39 $325.00 $250.00"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Sidney Fire Department Service Level Establishment and Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2087-Fire-Dept-Fire-Regs.pdf","title":"Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016 (PDF)","section":"s. 1","quotes":["Sidney Fire Department Service Level Establishment and Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":7,"stated":6,"matched":6,"none":0,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2087-Fire-Dept-Fire-Regs.pdf) prohibits burning of residential, construction site, demolition site or land-clearing waste. Wood-burning fires are not permitted in Sidney, including beach fires. The Fire Department's FAQ says propane and charcoal fire pits are permitted.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- No permit is issued for ordinary backyard burning. The Fire Chief or Fire Prevention Officer may issue special permits for community events such as Halloween or July 1st.\n- No size rules for fire pits were found. Confirm with the Fire Department at 250-656-2121 or firedept@sidney.ca.\n- Instead of burning, use curbside yard and garden waste collection (for homes on the Town's Full Service plan) or drop off at regional facilities. See the yard waste answer.\n- Fines: a bylaw notice is $325 ($250 if paid within 14 days; $390 after 28 days); a municipal ticket is $325 ($250 if paid within 30 days).\n- Because all open burning is already prohibited, the Town pages describe no separate fire ban procedure.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2087-Fire-Dept-Fire-Regs.pdf","title":"Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/services/emergency-services/fire-services/","title":"Fire Services, Town of Sidney","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/services/garbage-recycle/yard-and-garden-waste","title":"Yard and Garden Waste, Town of Sidney","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2239-Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-CON.pdf","title":"Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2239 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2180-MTI-consolidated.pdf","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2180 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"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."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/backyard-fire/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/backyard-fire.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/backyard-fire.json"}}