Charcoal barbecues okay during Milton burn ban, chimineas are not

Last week’s open burn ban in Milton left some questions unanswered for local residents.

Are charcoal barbecues allowed? What about gas barbecues? Can I use a chimenea or fire pit if I’m cooking over it?

Gord Fowler, Milton Fire and Rescue Services deputy chief was able to provide some answers.

“Gas and charcoal barbecues are okay during a burn ban, but the charcoal should definitely be in a proper vessel,” explained Fowler. “Fire pits and chimineas are not allowed, even if you’re cooking over them.”

Chimineas, which are illegal in many municipalities, are okay in Milton, but there are rules.

“Chimineas are permitted. They must be at least five metres from structures, including things like dog houses and fences. They must be made of metal with a maximum size of two feet by two feet by two feet and they have to be out by 1 a.m.”

Fowler said there are two levels of bans that can be implemented in Milton. The first is a town-wide one like we saw last week. The second is when burn permits are cancelled for the day when one of three criteria are met.

“We’ll cancel burn permits if the air quality index gets up to nine, if the winds are over 30 km-h or if dry conditions means there’s an extreme fire danger.”

He said the town-wide ban was because of several conditions, exacerbated by the forest fires in eastern Ontario and Quebec.

Permit holders are generally farmers or rural properties who are burning off brush and leftover hay.

Fowler anticipates a summer with more bans the usual this year.

“It’s sure shaping up that way and climate change makes things unpredictable. Generally there’s about one ban a week, but we figure fire bans are probably going to increase.”

Visit the Town of Milton website for more information on the burn ban bylaw.