---
title: Telkwa backyard fire and burning rules
question: "Can I have a backyard fire or burn yard waste in Telkwa?"
place: Telkwa, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/telkwa
category: Bylaws, noise and complaints
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Telkwa
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/backyard-fire/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/backyard-fire.json"
---

# Telkwa backyard fire and burning rules

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

**Short answer:** In Telkwa, a small fire pit or cooking fire needs no permit between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. if it meets the size and clearance rules. Burning brush needs the Fire Chief's authorization. All fires are banned during a provincial fire restriction.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Telkwa, https://www.telkwa.ca)  
**Cost:** No burning permit fee is listed. Ticket $212.60 for burning without a permit, burning prohibited material, in unsafe conditions or without clearances; $106.30 for a non-compliant fire pit.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village Office, 250-846-5212 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.))
- Email: Village Office and bylaw complaints, info@telkwa.ca
- In person: Village Office, 1415 Hankin Ave, Telkwa, BC V0J 2X0
- Email: Fire Chief, firechief@telkwa.ca
- Phone: Telkwa Fire Department (non-emergency), 250-846-5700

## Key facts

- **Backyard campfires:** A fire pit or cooking fire needs no permit between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. if: at least 6 m from any building, property line, tree, hedge, fence or wires; no bigger than 0.5 m high and 0.5 m by 0.5 m; inside a raised non-combustible barrier; only brush or manufactured logs; extinguisher or hose at hand; owner 18 or older attends. Not allowed during a provincial fire restriction.
  - Source: [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010, s. 10(a)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
  - Official wording: "An outdoor fire pit/cooking fire may be operated without a permit between 7:00 am and 1:00 am provided that:" … "it is located at a distance of not less than 6 metres between the fire pit and any building, structure, property line, tree, hedge, fence, roadway, overhead wire or other combustible articles" … "the fire is fully contained and controlled within the pit and does not exceed more than half a metre in height and a half a metre by half a metre in width" … "fire pits/cooking fires will be disallowed if the Government of British Columbia, through BC Forest and Range, or the Wildfire Management Branch issue open fire or campfire restrictions"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Burning yard waste:** Brush only (limbs, leaves, trimmings, raked grass) from the same parcel, in a pile at most 1 m high and 1 m by 1 m, with the Fire Chief's authorization. Not on poor ventilation days, midnight to 7 a.m. or in winds over 20 km/h. Keep 8 m from buildings, fences and hedges (less with an approved incinerator) and 10 m from streams.
  - Source: [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010, s. 4(b), (d), (e), (f)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
  - Official wording: "No material other than brush material including tree limbs and branches, leaves, bush trimmings or raked grass shall be burned;" … "No open burning is allowed on days when the ventilation index is defined as "poor" by Environment Canada;" … "No open burning is allowed between the hours of 12:00am and 7:00 am daily;" … "No open burning is permitted during high winds, greater than 20 kilometres per hour;" … "within 2 metres of any hedges or fence or 5 metres of any combustible structure when using an approved incinerator;" … "within 8 metres of any building structure, fence or hedge when not using an approved incinerator;" … "without first receiving authorization from the Fire Chief, Deputy or their designate;"
  - Source: [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010, s. 3(d), 5(a)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
  - Official wording: "All permitted materials to be burned must originate from the parcel of land on which it is to be burned." … "within 8 metres of any building structure, fence or hedge when not using an approved incinerator;" … "within 10 metres of any stream;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permit:** Yes. Get a burning permit from the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief or their designate (s. 3). s. 3(f) says it is required May through September; s. 4(a) also requires the Fire Chief's authorization for burning on residential land. No fee is listed. Permit holders must also contact the provincial forests ministry.
  - Source: [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010, s. 3(b), 3(f), 3(h)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
  - Official wording: "Any person wishing to start open air burning shall first obtain a permit from the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief or their designate." … "A burning permit for any form of open-air burning is required for the month of May through to, and including the month of September of each calendar year." … "Permits issued by The Village of Telkwa still require permit holders to contact Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development" … "without first receiving authorization from the Fire Chief, Deputy or their designate;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Fire bans:** All burning permits are void, and fire pits and cooking fires are not allowed, whenever the Province (BC Wildfire Service) bans open fires, campfires or cooking fires here, until the ban is lifted. Check the BC Government Wildfire Service.
  - Source: [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010, s. 8(c)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
  - Official wording: "All burning permits issued will be considered null and void if the Government of British Columbia, through the BC Forest and Range, or the Wildfire Management Branch, bans open fires, campfires and or cooking fires, in our jurisdiction."
  - Source: [Open Burning Prohibition, Village news post (July 22, 2022)](https://www.telkwa.ca/post/open-burning-prohibition-issued-for-northwest-fire-centre)
  - Official wording: "For more information, please visit BC Government Wildfire Service"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Instead of burning:** Not confirmed. The Village does not describe any yard waste pickup.
- **Fine:** $212.60 for burning without a permit, burning prohibited material, burning in unsafe conditions, or burning without proper clearances; $106.30 for a non-compliant fire pit. Cost recovery for fire response is extra.
  - Source: [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025, Schedule B, Open Air Burning Bylaw](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/36216/)
  - Official wording: "Burning without a Permit 3(a) $ 212.60" … "Non-compliant Fire Pit 10 $ 106.30"
  - Source: [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010, s. 12(a)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
  - Official wording: "is liable upon summary conviction to a fine, as specified in the Village of Telkwa Fees and Charges Bylaw, plus the costs of recovery"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Telkwa Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010 (cites itself as "Open-Air Burning Regulation Bylaw No. 598, 2010").
  - Source: [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010, s. 1.1](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as "Open-Air Burning Regulation Bylaw No. 598, 2010.""
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010](<https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/>) allows a fire pit or cooking fire without a permit between 7:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. if it is:

- at least 6 m from any building, property line, tree, hedge, fence or wires;
- no bigger than 0.5 m high and 0.5 m by 0.5 m, inside a raised non-combustible barrier;
- burning only brush or manufactured logs, with an extinguisher or hose at hand and an owner aged 18 or older attending.

## Steps

1. To burn brush (limbs, leaves, trimmings, raked grass) from the same parcel, get the Fire Chief's authorization. Burning permits come from the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief or their designate. Email firechief@telkwa.ca or call 250-846-5700 (non-emergency). No fee is listed.
2. Keep the pile at most 1 m high and 1 m by 1 m, 8 m from buildings, fences and hedges, and 10 m from streams.
3. Do not burn on poor ventilation days, from midnight to 7:00 a.m., or in winds over 20 km/h.

## Good to know

- No open burning within 300 m of a school from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on school days.
- The bylaw says a permit is required May through September, and also requires the Fire Chief's authorization on residential land. It does not say whether a permit is needed October to April; ask the Fire Chief.
- Fire bans: all burning permits are void, and fire pits and cooking fires are not allowed, whenever the Province bans open fires, campfires or cooking fires here. Check the BC Wildfire Service for the current status.
- Tickets under the [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025](<https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/36216/>): $212.60 for burning without a permit, burning prohibited material, in unsafe conditions or without clearances; $106.30 for a non-compliant fire pit. Fire response costs are extra.
- Permit holders must also contact the provincial forests ministry.
- No yard waste pickup is described by the Village; see the yard waste answer.

## Official forms and pages

- [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010 (PDF)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025 (PDF)](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/36216/)

## Related questions

- [Telkwa fireworks rules](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/fireworks.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard fire and burning rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-fire.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/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

- [Open-Air Burning Bylaw No. 598, 2010 (PDF), Village of Telkwa](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/6166/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 792, 2025 (PDF), Village of Telkwa](https://telkwa.civicweb.net/document/36216/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Open Burning Prohibition, Village of Telkwa news post](https://www.telkwa.ca/post/open-burning-prohibition-issued-for-northwest-fire-centre) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Telkwa](https://www.telkwa.ca/contact) (read 2026-11-08)

_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 Village of Telkwa. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/backyard-fire/_