The City of St. Catharines requires you to obtain a Burn Permit for all agricultural fires and some non-agricultural fires in the city. Only the owner of a property, an agent acting on behalf of a property, or lawful occupant of a property with written permission may apply for Burn Permits.
Agricultural fires
To successfully obtain a Burn Permit for a rural agricultural fire, your fire must meet the following regulations and requirements:
- It must take place only between sunrise and sunset
- Wind speed must be 24 km or less, as measured at the Niagara District Airport
- It may not occur on days with heavy smog or 'Save the Air' days, as determined by Niagara Region, Niagara Health or the Province of Ontario
- It must be supervised at all times by a responsible person 18-years-old or older and equipped with a cell phone, so that 9-1-1 can be contacted immediately
- It must not create a nuisance to traffic or any other person as determined by St. Catharines Fire Services
- It must be a minimum of 30 metres from any building, structure, property line, fence, roadway, overhead wires or other combustible materials
- It must not exceed 10 metres in diameter and 5 metres in height
- A suitable means of control or extinguishment must be within 10 metres of the agricultural fire location, consisting of one of the following:
- A minimum of two portable fire extinguishers with a minimum rating of 2A
- A vessel containing no less than 200 litres of water with an opening of no less than 457 mm and three 12-litre pails
- Earth moving equipment (backhoe, front-end loader, bobcat, etc.)
- A portable pump with a minimum of 30 metres of hose capable of pumping from a water source containing a minimum of 200 litres of water
- A copy of the original permit outlining the restrictions must be available on-site
Non-agricultural fires
A Non-Agricultural Burn Permit is required for non-agricultural fires in specific circumstances, such as:
- Destroying infested trees as ordered by another government agency where the trees may not be transported
- Community cookouts
- Specific festivals
- Other unique circumstances
Apply for a Burn Permit
To apply and pay online, log on to the city online application page or contact our Fire Prevention Office at 905.688.5601 ext. 4224 for a Burn Permit Application Form and Property Owner's Permission Form, if needed.
As per the City's 2025 Rates and Fees By-Law, payment of a $233.55 fee must accompany burn permit applications.
Fees can be paid online by applying through our online application page, or by cheque or money order payable to the City of St. Catharines. Payments that are not through our online portal can be submitted with accompanying applications by mail, or in person to St. Catharines Fire Services at 64 Geneva Street in St. Catharines, L2R 4M7.
The fee is non-refundable once the review process has started regardless if the application is approved or denied
Applications must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of any burning and no burning is permitted until the permit is issued.
Your application must include a site plan drawing showing:
- Location of the proposed fire
- Size of fire
- Location of all buildings
- Parking lots
- Access routes
- Public roads
- Street address
- Property name, if applicable
Deliver all required information to the St. Catharines Fire Services headquarters at 64 Geneva St., St. Catharines ON, L2R 4M7.
Renewal
Agricultural fire Burn Permits are generally valid for a 12-month period. Permits expire at the end of each calendar year and must be renewed every year to remain valid. You must complete an application for renewal before expiry.
Backyard fires and chimeneas
View more information about the rules and regulations around backyard fires and chimeneas in St. Catharines.