Can I use my chiminea in Hamilton? Your burning questions answered
COVID-19 kept us at home, leaving some to expand or create outdoor living spaces into their very own Puerto backyarda.
Enter the urban firepit. You know, that beautiful chiminea you purchased? But can you even use it under Hamilton bylaw? And what does Hamilton Fire say after responding to twice the number of calls this year than two years before?
We asked the Hamilton Fire Department and the city for some advice on this growing trend and for some clarity on what is and isn't allowed.
Here are their answers.
Q: What kinds of firepits are being used in Hamilton backyards?
You cannot have a campfire, firepit or chiminea in the city. Open air burning is prohibited in urban backyards. A chiminea or outdoor fireplace is considered open air burning and is not allowed without a permit and even then, only in rural areas. You can cook food on a small confined fire that is supervised at all times on a grill or a barbecue (think hibachi). If you're looking for a little ambience in Hamilton you can use an outdoor propane or natural gas fire table, like the ones you find at Home Hardware or Canadian Tire. Hamilton does not consider these open air burning and they do not require a permit.
Q. Do I need a permit if I live in a rural setting or in the country?
Yes. The city of Hamilton website states, open air burn permits are required for rural areas only and include three types of fire - the standard fire, recreational, and the fireplace where flames are confined to the fireplace and do no extend into the chimney (like a chiminea or outdoor fireplace). All three of these open air burns must be at a minimum of three metres away from any building or combustible material.
Q. How big can my fire get?
Fire tables and grills that do not require a burn permit are limited to the manufacture settings, but even if you are in a rural area and have a burn permit you are limited to the size of your fire. A standard fire is limited to about the size of a sandbox (two-by-two metres) and no higher than a tennis net (one metre in height). A recreational campfire is no bigger than the inside of say a tire rim (maximum of 0.6 m in diameter). And for an outdoor fireplace, flames are confined to the fireplace and do not extend into the chimney.
Q. How long is my permit good for? Will I need a new permit every weekend when I want a fire?
A burn permit from the city of Hamilton is valid for the calendar year that it was issued unless a time frame is listed on the permit. You need to have the permit available on request and permit holders are limited to one fire burning at any one time. You must be 18-years-old to apply for a burn permit.
Q. What can I burn?
You are only allowed to burn clean wood and brush with a burn permit. Burning of leaves is not permitted.
No open fires or barbecues are allowed unless authorized by permit.
Jennifer Moore is an editorial assistant at The Spectator in Hamilton. Reach her via email: jmoore@thespec.com