Fire Prevention Week: Why We Issue Fire Permits

Fire Prevention Week is an educational week teaching children and adults alike how to stay safe in case of a fire. Beginning in 1925, Fire Prevention Week is one of the longest-running public health observances.

With four local fire departments, a Regional Emergency Management Team, and a FireSmart approach, the County of St. Paul has always taken fire safety seriously. With Fire Prevention Week here, we want to remind ratepayers of a key piece in our fire services: fire permits.

What Fire Permits Do

Fire permits provide the residents who obtain them permission to ignite an open air fire, usually for brush or refuse burning. Camp fires do not require a fire permit.

Fire permits are a year-round, free service, and are valid for 14 days from the date of issue.

The permit system also gives our local fire departments a list of active, approved fires within the County. With this list, departments can check to see if any smoke reported is due to a permit. This means that a department will not dispatch to extinguish the fire, unless otherwise reported by the resident who obtained the permit or if the permit has since expired.

When there’s no Fire Permit

If smoke or a fire is reported and our departments have no record of an approved fire permit, crews respond with the appropriate apparatus as per their response protocols. This could include pumper, tanker, and rescue trucks with up to 13 firefighters responding.

Not only can this response result in a possible charge to the landowner for the department’s services – in additional to possible costs under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act by the Province – this takes our fire departments away from other, potentially higher risk fires. This is not a scenario we ever wish to face. Thankfully, we can avoid this by using the fire permit system.

What to Do with Fire Permits

County residents can find the Fire Permit application form on our Fire & Emergency Services webpage. Plan ahead of your burn, as applications may take two business days to approve.

If you are still burning or know you will still be burning after the 14 days, submit another permit application and call the County to notify us: 780-645-3301.

Our fire departments thank you for being FireSmart!