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

# Smithers backyard fire and burning rules

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

**Short answer:** In Smithers, only small campfires used solely for cooking food, in a proper fire pit with cured wood, no larger than 0.5 m high by 0.5 m wide, are allowed. Recreational campfires, bonfires and burning yard waste are not permitted. Email fire@smithers.ca about land clearing burn permits.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Smithers, https://www.smithers.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit fee stated. Bylaw notice: burning prohibited materials $300; burning without a permit $300; unauthorized open fire in a park $300.  
**How long:** Permits are issued only where no practical alternative exists; processing time not stated.  
**Where:**
- Email: Smithers Fire Rescue (burn permits), fire@smithers.ca
- Phone: Town Hall (bylaw enforcement), 250-847-1600 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Backyard campfires:** Only campfires used solely for cooking food, using cured wood in a proper fire pit, are permitted, no larger than 0.5 m high by 0.5 m wide. Recreational campfires and bonfires are not permitted.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning, Open Burning in your Backyard](https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning)
  - Official wording: "Campfires solely used for the cooking of food using cured wood in proper fire pits are permitted" … "All other Backyard Open Burning, including recreational campfires and bonfires, are not permitted" … "no larger than 0.5 metres high by 0.5 metres wide"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Burning yard waste:** Generally not allowed: the Open Burning Bylaw prohibits burning domestic waste, garden refuse, garbage, land clearing or noxious materials within the Town. The Town may issue Land Clearing Open Burning Permits where no practical alternatives exist.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning](https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning)
  - Official wording: "prohibits the burning of domestic waste, garden refuse, garbage, land clearing or noxious materials" … "The Town may issue Land Clearing Open Burning Permits where no practical alternatives exist"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit:** The Town may issue Land Clearing Open Burning Permits only where no practical alternatives exist and burning will not cause nuisance or endanger the public. Email fire@smithers.ca.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning, Open Burning Permits](https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning)
  - Official wording: "The Town may issue Land Clearing Open Burning Permits where no practical alternatives exist" … "Email fire@smithers.ca for more information."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fire bans:** The Town adopts fire prohibition orders put in place by the Province and may add or extend its own. Check with Smithers Fire Rescue or the BC Wildfire Service fire bans and restrictions page.
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning, Fire Prohibitions](https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning)
  - Official wording: "the Town of Smithers adopts all fire prohibition orders" … "please contact Smithers Fire Rescue and/or visit BC Wildfire Service"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Instead of burning:** The Town's yard-waste drop-off site at 2888 19th Avenue takes garden waste, leaves and grass clippings, open to residents seven days a week. Branches go to the Regional District transfer station.
  - Source: [Yard Waste Drop-off](https://www.smithers.ca/recycling-garbage-yard-waste/yard-waste-drop)
  - Official wording: "located at the Operations Department at 2888 19th Avenue" … "The drop-off is available to residents seven days a week." … "Branches are not compostable material and should be brought to the Regional District Transfer Station."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fine:** Bylaw notice: burning prohibited materials (Open Burning Bylaw s. 2.1) $300; burning without a permit (s. 2.2) $300; unauthorized open fire in a park $300. The schedule also shows $150 early and $400 late, but s. 8.1 describes the columns differently; confirm with the Town. (Sources differ: Amounts are from the Schedule A table of Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2011 (adopted Aug. 25, 2026). The table headings read Penalty / Early Payment (within 14 days) / Late Payment (after 28 days), but s. 8.1 of the same bylaw says the Column 3 amount is payable within 14 days, Column 4 between 14 and 28 days and Column 5 after 28 days, so which figure is the 'full' amount is unclear; confirm with the Town. No Municipal Ticket Information bylaw was found in the bylaw library.)
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2011, Schedule A, Open Burning table](https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/290948/)
  - Official wording: "Burn prohibited materials 2.1 300.00 150.00 400.00 NO" … "Burn without permit 2.2 300.00 150.00 400.00 NO" … "Unauthorized open fire 3.2.b 300.00 150.00 400.00 NO" … "amount set out in Column 3 of "Schedule A"; or"
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2011, Schedule A, Parks bylaw table](https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/290948/)
  - Official wording: "Unauthorized open fire 3.2.b 300.00 150.00 400.00 NO"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Town of Smithers Open Burning Bylaw No. 1155
  - Source: [Outdoor Burning](https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning)
  - Official wording: "Town of Smithers Open Burning Bylaw No. 1155"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The Town's Open Burning Bylaw No. 1155 (described on the Town's [Outdoor Burning page](<https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning>)) prohibits burning domestic waste, garden refuse, garbage, land clearing or noxious materials. Only campfires used solely for cooking food, using cured wood in a proper fire pit, are permitted, no larger than 0.5 m high by 0.5 m wide. Recreational campfires and bonfires are not permitted.

## Steps

1. For garden waste, use the Town's yard-waste drop-off at 2888 19th Avenue instead (see the yard waste answer).
2. If you need to burn for land clearing, email fire@smithers.ca. The Town may issue a Land Clearing Open Burning Permit only where no practical alternative exists and burning will not cause a nuisance or endanger the public.
3. Before any fire, check for a fire ban.

## Good to know

- Fire bans: the Town adopts fire prohibition orders put in place by the Province and may add or extend its own. Check with Smithers Fire Rescue or the BC Wildfire Service fire bans and restrictions page for the current status.
- Bylaw notices: burning prohibited materials $300; burning without a permit $300; unauthorized open fire in a park $300. The early and late amounts and their timing should be confirmed with the Town.
- Branches go to the Regional District transfer station, not the Town drop-off.

## Official forms and pages

- [Outdoor Burning](https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning)
- [Yard Waste Drop-off](https://www.smithers.ca/recycling-garbage-yard-waste/yard-waste-drop)

## Related questions

- [Smithers bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-fire.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/backyard-fire.md)
- [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/backyard-fire.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/backyard-fire.md)
- [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/backyard-fire.md)
- [Burns Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/backyard-fire.md)
- [Kitimat](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/backyard-fire.md)

## Sources

- [Outdoor Burning, Town of Smithers](https://www.smithers.ca/public-safety/fire-rescue-services/outdoor-burning) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Yard Waste Drop-off, Town of Smithers](https://www.smithers.ca/recycling-garbage-yard-waste/yard-waste-drop) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2011, Town of Smithers](https://smithers.civicweb.net/document/290948/) (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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Smithers. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/backyard-fire/_