Can I burn today in Kitchener?

Permit required for open air burning (711.6.1)

No person shall conduct open air burning without first having obtained a fire permit from the Fire Chief.

"Open air burning" definition excludes recreational-fire devices (711.1.12)

"open air burning" means any fire that is conducted outside a building, including, without limitation, a fire conducted in a garden, yard, alley, field, park, industrial site, construction site, building lot, parking lot, street, or other open place with the following exceptions: a) the operation of welding or similar equipment; b) the operation of a coal or wood fired locomotive or boat; c) a controlled burn that is part of a manufacturing process; d) an outdoor fireplace; e) an outdoor fire pit; f) an outdoor appliance; g) a manufactured or non-manufactured barbeque, smoker, fireplace, fire pit, or other appliance provided such is fuelled by natural gas or propane and is in conformance with the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000; h) a commercially manufactured solid fuel burning barbecue; i) a commercially manufactured smoker not contained within a building or a fixed structure; or j) a smoke house.

Recreational fire distance and hours (711.4.2, 711.4.3, 711.4.8)

Every person conducting and every owner permitting to be conducted a recreational fire shall ensure that the fire is located at a distance of not less than 5 metres (16.4 feet) from any building, structure, property line, tree, hedge, fence, roadway, overhead wire or other combustible article. ... shall ensure that the fire is only conducted between the hours of 6:00 pm and 11:00 pm of any day. ... shall ensure that the size of the combustion area of the outdoor fireplace, outdoor appliance, or outdoor fire pit is not larger than 1 metre (3.2 feet) in any direction.

Smog-triggered fire ban (711.3.2, 711.3.5)

The Director of By-law Enforcement may issue a fire ban due to smog conditions upon receipt of credible information that a smog advisory is in effect, including but not limited to an e-mail originating from Environment Canada advising that a smog advisory is in effect. ... No person shall conduct any outdoor burning at any time at a location for which a fire ban due to smog conditions issued by the Director of By-law Enforcement is in effect.

Open air burning hours (711.6.10)

The open air burning shall only take place between the hours of 7:00 am to 7:00 pm from April 15 to September 30 and between the hours of 7:00 am to 5:00 pm from October 1 to April 14 of each year unless otherwise approved and noted by the Fire Chief on the fire permit.

Maximum burn size and distance from combustibles (711.6.12, 711.6.14)

The maximum size of the fire shall not exceed 1 cubic metre (35.3 cubic feet) of material to be burned at any one time, unless an exemption from this requirement is specifically obtained from the Fire Chief and noted on the fire permit. ... the open air burning shall not be permitted within 20 metres (65.6 feet) of any building, structure, hedge, fence, vehicular roadway, overhead wire, property line, or obstruction of any kind or nature whatsoever.

Penalties (711.8.1, 711.7.1)

Every person who contravenes any provision of this Chapter is guilty of offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a fine for each offence, not exceeding: a) on a first offence, Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000); and b) on a second or subsequent offence, Seven Thousand Five Hundred dollars ($7,500). ... Where any person has two convictions under this Chapter for offences occurring at the same property, that person shall not conduct any outdoor burning or operate any smoke house at that same property for a period of five years.