Can I burn today in Ottawa?

Permit required (Section 3)

No person shall set or maintain an open air fire without first having obtained the necessary permit from the Fire Chief. ... No person shall set or maintain an open air fire when a fire ban on open air fires has been issued by the Fire Chief.

Mapped areas restriction (Section 3)

Despite subsection (1), no person shall set or maintain an open air fire in any shaded area shown on any of the maps attached as Schedules "A" to "P" inclusive... Subject to subsection (1), no person shall set or maintain an open air fire in the hatched areas on Schedule A, Schedule B, Schedule D, Schedule F, Schedule H, Schedule K, Schedule L, Schedule O and Schedule P unless, 1. it is a campfire; 2. it is an open air fire set and maintained in an outdoor fireplace; or 3. it is a brush fire set and maintained between December 1st and March 31st.

Permit application eligibility (Section 4)

Any person eighteen (18) years of age or older may make a written application for an open air fire permit to the Fire Chief prior to the proposed date of the first open air fire. ... The Fire Chief shall issue an open air fire permit unless, 1. the application is incomplete; 2. there are reasonable grounds to believe that the open air fire may be adverse to public safety; or 3. there are reasonable grounds to believe that the open air fire will result in a breach of this by-law, the FPPA, or any other provincial or federal statute.

Permit conditions and validity (Section 5)

A permit issued under this section is valid on the date of issue and for the balance of the calendar year in which the permit is issued. ... No holder of a permit issued under this by-law shall set or maintain an open air fire unless the permit holder, 1. notifies the Fire Chief for permission on the day of each proposed open air fire; 2. ensures that a person eighteen (18) years of age or older maintains constant watch and control over the open air fire at all times...; ... 6. has equipment capable of extinguishing the fire such as rakes, shovels, or water immediately available for use at the site of the open air fire.

General setback and prohibited-materials conditions (Section 6)

Where the material to be burned in an open air fire is 2 m or less in length, width and height or is in a burn drum, no permit holder shall set or maintain an open air fire, 1. at a distance of less than 30 m from any building, hedge, fence, overhead wiring or a highway and at a distance of less than 25 m from another open air fire; 2. where combustible material other than a building, hedge, fence, or overhead wiring or a highway is present within a radius of 15 m from the open air fire; ... 6. that uses prohibited materials, which include grass, leaves, garbage, pressure treated or creosote wood, or any combustibles that produce toxic fumes other than those produced by the burning of untreated wood, tree limbs or branches; 7. before sunrise and after sunset on any day, with the exception of campfires and outdoor fireplaces that comply with the requirements of this by-law.

Campfire conditions (Section 7)

Despite clauses (a), (b) and (g) of subsection 6(1), no permit holder shall set or maintain any campfire, 1. where the material to be burned exceeds 60 cm in width at the largest point or is piled higher than 50 cm in height; 2. that uses material other than dry firewood; ... 4. unless the campfire is located a distance of not less than 15 m from any building, hedge, fence, overhead wiring or other combustible material or a highway where the campfire is not surrounded by non-combustible material; or 5. unless the campfire is located a distance of not less than 10 m from any building, hedge, fence, overhead wiring or other combustible material or a highway where the campfire is surrounded by non-combustible material to a minimum height of 30 cm.

Windrow conditions (Section 9)

No permit holder shall set or maintain an open air fire that is a windrow unless, 1. the windrow does not exceed the size limits set out in this by-law; 2. the windrow is located a distance of not less than 90 m from a building, overhead wiring or highway; ... 10. the windrow is set and maintained only between Monday to Friday, inclusive; 11. the permit holder notifies the Fire Chief each day that the windrow is set and maintained until the windrow is extinguished; 12. the permit holder ceases to add material to the windrow if a fire ban comes into effect.

Specific event permits (Section 10)

A community not-for-profit organization or a religious institution may apply in writing to the Fire Chief for an open air fire permit to conduct campfires or open air fires in an outdoor fireplace for cultural, religious or recreational specific events. ... A permit issued pursuant to subsection (3) is valid only for the day or days of the specific event.

Revocation (Section 12)

Permits issued to a permit holder under this by-law may be revoked by the Fire Chief if, in the opinion of the Fire Chief, a dangerous condition exists in or near the site of the open air fire. ... may be revoked by the Fire Chief if the permit holder fails to comply with the requirements of the permit or permits and any other provisions of this by-law.