The Township of Langley will begin issuing burning permits next month.
The spring burning season will run from April 26 to May 31 from dawn to dusk, Township Fire Department assistant chief Andy Hewitson said.
Rural property owners often burn organic matter as a means of disposal of large quantities.
“Only vegetation from the property such as branches et cetera can be burned, no construction scrap, dimensional lumber or non-organic materials can be burned,” he explained. “We encourage people to avoid the use of fire starters and always use caution when tending to the burning piles.”
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To mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, permits this year will only be available online at tol.ca/burning. The cost to obtain a permit is $25.
Hewitson said bylaw officers will take into account the size of a property, a minimum half an acre lot size is required; the location in the Township, and the distance from power lines or other structures before issuing a permit to the property owner. Even with a permit, people cannot burn unless air quality conditions are right.
Piles must be burned one at a time, no larger than two metres by two metres in size, a maximum height of three feet, and must be hand fed, he added.
“A water source for extinguishment must be close by,” Hewitson noted.
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Burning is not allowed in the urban areas of Aldergrove, Murrayville, Walnut Grove, Fort Langley and Willoughby.
“Be courteous, excessively smoky fires may result in the fire department attending and requesting it be extinguished,” Hewitson noted. “If fire crews are called to attend a fire and there is no valid permit, or the fire is in contravention of the regulations, a fine will be issued to the registered property owner.”
City of Langley does not permit any open burning at anytime of year, according to deputy fire chief Scott Kennedy.
Residents in the City failing to comply will be issued a fine, he said.
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