Increased enforcement efforts for fire pits in Saskatoon has seen a reduction in repeated complaints, according to a new report.
A revised bylaw was passed by city council on April 30, 2018, only allowing open-air fires between 2-11 p.m. CT.
The Saskatoon Fire Department report sums up the first year of bylaw enforcement.
The trend for open-air fire complaints has been relatively consistent through the years, according to the report. In 2018, the fire department responded to 215 complaints compared to 236 in 2017, and 205 in 2016.
The report says, however, complaints received outside allowed times for open-air fires declined from 82 in 2017 to 24 the following year.
“Because of the increased enforcement, we have had a reduction in the number of repeated complaints to the same locations,” fire Chief Morgan Hackl said in a press release.
“Overall, the past year has gone as expected with the rate of complaints dropping off slightly; we’re effectively using the tools available to us for enforcement action.”
WATCH BELOW: Rules and regulations for using fire pits in Saskatoon (May 2018)
There were 127 enforcement actions taken by firefighters during 2018; the majority of violations, 46 per cent, were for illegal containers, and 13 per cent were for burning outside of permitted hours.
A total of 93 “notice of violation” tickets were issued along with 14 “orders to remedy contravention” and 20 “violation warning” tickets.
Following the bylaw change, the City of Saskatoon said an awareness campaign was launched to make people aware of fire pits requirements as well as permitted hours of use.
Letters containing the new limitation on burning time were also mailed to property owners who had been the subject of a complaint in previous years, the report said.
“As usual, we’ll continue to get the message out about the regulations and encourage residents to be good neighbours by enjoying fires responsibly and respectfully,” Hackl said.
“With more discussion in the community, we’re hoping more people are aware of the rules so as not to be a nuisance for their neighbours.”
Complaints related to open-air fires make up 1.5 per cent of all incidents the fire department responds to annually.
The report will be received by the standing policy committee on planning, development and community services on May 13.