Residents in Amherstburg can now have a camp fire with the correct permit.
After several public meetings and bylaw re-write, council has agreed to allow open air burns no bigger than 1M by 1M on residential properties approved by the Amherstburg Fire Department.
Mayor Aldo DiCarlo says far too often resources were being tied up dealing with illegal fires and the issue needed to be addressed. He says there's a number of factors fire officials will be looking for.
"We haven't been to everybody's house. So now if I want to have camp fires, that means that I have to get the chief out to my property and make sure that there isn't all those auxiliary facilities, fencing and making sure right down to exactly what you're using for your fire," he says.
Permits will be given out on a property by property basis.
"We had to do it based on simple assumptions," says DiCarlo. "If you think you have the room and we've given them all the statistics to do it themselves, by all means, give us a call. We'll come out, we'll confirm what you believe to be true and as long as you meet all those restrictions you can have a fire."
A hotline is being set up as well, where a message will say whether residents are able to have a fire that day based on weather conditions.
DiCarlo adds, there's still a zero tolerance policy for fires without a $25 permit. Once a property is inspected and permission is granted, the permit is good for one year.