Sidney backyard fire and burning rules

Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Sidney?

Sidney, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

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.

Key facts

Backyard campfires	Wood-burning fires are not permitted in Sidney, including beach fires. The Fire Department says propane and charcoal fire pits are permitted.Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016, s. 39; Fire Services, FAQs · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Burning within the Town of Sidney is not permitted. as well as beach fires. Wood burning within the Town of Sidney is not permitted. Propane and charcoal fire pits are permitted.
Burning yard waste	Not allowed. The bylaw prohibits burning of residential, construction site, demolition site or land-clearing waste.Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016, s. 39 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording This prohibition includes the burning of residential, construction site, demolition site or land-clearing waste
Permit	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.Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016, s. 39(a) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording 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.
Fire bans	Not confirmed. The Town's pages describe no separate fire ban procedure.
Instead of burning	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).Yard and Garden Waste, Collection Information; Other Yard Waste Options · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Yard Waste collection takes place twice per month. there are a few regional facilities that accept yard and garden waste.
Fine	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).Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2239, Schedule C, Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, s. 39; Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2180, Schedule 5, s. 39 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Prohibited 39 $325.00 $250.00 $390.00 Prohibited Burning 39 $325.00 $250.00
Bylaw	Sidney Fire Department Service Level Establishment and Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Sidney Fire Department Service Level Establishment and Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087

How it works

The Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087 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.

Good to know

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.
No size rules for fire pits were found. Confirm with the Fire Department at 250-656-2121 or firedept@sidney.ca.
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.
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).
Because all open burning is already prohibited, the Town pages describe no separate fire ban procedure.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

North Saanich · Central Saanich · Highlands · Saanich · View Royal · Langford

Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Fire Regulation Bylaw No. 2087, 2016 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Fire Services, Town of Sidney (read 2026-11-06)
Yard and Garden Waste, Town of Sidney (read 2026-11-06)
Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2239 (PDF) (read 2026-11-06)
Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2180 (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. How answers are checked.