City of Regina reminds residents to be fire safe and play by the rules this summer

According to the City of Regina, firefighters in the city attended 139 fire pit incidents between May 1 and September 30 last summer, which is why city officials are encouraging residents to focus on fire safety – and play by the rules this summer.

Randy Ryba, the fire marshal for Regina Fire Protective Services, said some common mistakes people have made in the past are things like a missing screen and the pit being too close to combustibles, and confirmed the pit needs to be at least three meters from your property line, structures and any wooden decks within the property.

Ryba also said that the majority of complaints from residents comes from a provision in the bylaw that states that any fires that are producing smoke that is causing discomfort for your neighbour must be extinguished.

“We do have one provision in the bylaw where we get most complaints from, and that portion is if the smoke from your fire pit causes unreasonable discomfort for the neighbour, you shall extinguish.”

Ryba confirmed that there are strict rules regarding backyard fire pits, and if not followed, could result in a $300 fine per violation as fire pits pose a serious safety risk if not set up and used properly.

“The fines are $300 per violation. There could be multiple violations within any property,” said Ryba.

When can you allow your fire to burn? According to Ryba, fires must be put out between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. the following day.

In a May 17 news release, the city confirmed fire pit safety regulations, which include:

• Fires must be contained in a non-combustible receptacle, on a non-combustible surface and be covered with a heavy gauge metal screen;
• Fire pits must be placed at least three meters from any combustible materials such as fences, houses, decks, bushes, overhanging branches and property lines;
• Only seasoned wood, manufactured fire logs or charcoal can be burned. Burning debris for disposal purposes is not allowed, including leaves, twigs and scrap lumber;
• At all times, fire pits must be supervised by an adult and a means to extinguish the fire must be near at hand.

For full details on all city regulations, visit the City of Regina website.