Before You Burn... -- Seguin Township

    Each year in Ontario, dozens of rural residents and cottagers damage forest lands and lose valuable buildings in fires. Many of these fires are caused by careless burning of household debris and could have been prevented.
nbsp;   Sometimes burning brush is a necessary alternative to composting or chipping. Just make sure you know the rules for outdoor fires and follow safe practices when you burn.
    If you live in a municipality, check with the local municipal office or fire department: you may be required to get municipal permission or be required to take your debris to an approved disposal site. Otherwise, follow these rules for safe burning.


1. Choose a Safe Time Any fire is more likely to get out of control on a hot, dry or windy day. Burn during the coolest, dampest and calmest time of the day - two hours before sunset or later. Make sure fires are out two hours after sunrise, or earlier. Don't burn when it's windy.	3. Choose a Safe Site Piles must be at least two metres from other flammable material. If you are burning an area of grass or leaves, make sure the area is surrounded by a fire-proof boundary. Roads, Ditches, or ploughed ground provide good barriers against fire spread.
2. Keep Your Fire Small Keep your pile of wood, brush, or debris less than two metres in diameter and less than two metres high. An area of grass or leaves can be burned if the area is less than one hectare (2.5 acres) and the length of the flaming edge is kept to less than 30 metres (100 feet).	4. Stay With Your Fire If you start a fire outdoors, you must take all necessary steps to tend the fire, keep it under control, and extinguish it before leaving the site. Never leave your fire, even for a short period of time. You must have adequate tools or water to control the fire if it begins to spread.

If you burn forest litter or debris often, build or use a good incinerator.

1. Select a site at least five metres from the forest, trees, buildings, or piles of debris. Clear an area two metres around the incinerator down to mineral soil (sand or gravel).

2. Use a metal barrel in good condition.

3. A heavy metal mesh must be put on top of the incinerator. Mesh size must be less than 5 mm. Weight the screen with a rock or brick to stop it from falling off your incinerator. Without a mesh cover, a hot fire can spread burning sparks.

4. If you let air in at the bottom of the incinerator and support the material, it will burn quickly and cleanly. Punch holes about seven centimetres above the bottom of the barrel. Punch a few more holes slightly higher and insert steel rods or pipes to support the material to be burned.

5. Keep a shovel, rake and water nearby.