News release

Burning Permit Replacement to Improve Safety, Save Money

Natural Resources (to July 2018)

The province is developing an online system that will increase fire safety for Nova Scotians while replacing burning permits and eliminating their fees. It will launch next spring.

"The province is making life easier and more affordable for Nova Scotians by improving the way permissions for backyard burning are managed," said Natural Resources Minister Charlie Parker. "Once the system is ready, in spring 2014, people will no longer have to travel to a DNR office to pay for a paper permit that allows them to burn brush. It's a better way to regulate domestic burning and increase overall fire safety."

As well as saving Nova Scotians burning fees, the new website will also save taxpayers money on administration costs.

Last year, more than 8,600 domestic burning permits were issued by the department. About 99 per cent of Nova Scotia's wildfires are caused by people who burn without a permit.

"With this new online system, all Nova Scotians will have greater convenience and not have to travel to get a permit to burn, they will just check the website to see if it's safe for them, or for their neighbour, to be burning on a given day," said Jim Driscoll, deputy fire chief, Cape Breton Regional Municipality. "It will be a great way to make safe burning easier for people."

The burning advisory website will use a simple colour-coded system to let people know if burning in their county is permitted. Green means burning is permitted, red means it is not, and yellow means burning is permitted with cautions and restrictions.

Starting in 2014, the domestic burning regulation period will be extended to March 15-Oct. 15, across the province.

The safest time for domestic burning is in the winter. Nova Scotians do not have to wait for the burning season to burn brush. Winter burning directions are available at http://novascotia.ca/natr/forestprotection/wildfire/firecentre/winterburn.asp.