City-Wide Fire Ban Lifted

Please be advised the City-wide fire ban is lifted as of Thursday, August 20, at 12:01 a.m. This follows the announcement from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) ending the Restricted Fire Zone for the northwest region.

Although the fire ban has been lifted, conditions remain dry, and residents are strongly encouraged to burn responsibly and safely with extreme caution. 

Open air burning permits

City of Kenora burning permits are reinstated. An Open Air Burning Permit is required in the City of Kenora and may be purchased at City Hall. Rules and contraventions included with the permit must be reviewed by the person in charge and control of the fire before starting. The following rules apply: 

• Burn only old grass, leaves, waste wood, small brush piles, and untreated lumber;
• Single burn pile must be 10 metres away from all flammable material;
• Burn pile must not exceed 2 metres around and be less than 2 metres high;
• The fire must be supervised at all times;
• You must have a water source or fire extinguisher readily available.

Camp fires

A burning permit is not required for camp fires. Camp fires are permitted only when they meet all of the following conditions:
•    The fire is used to cook food on a grill or barbecue, or for personal warmth or entertainment.
•    The fire is on a non-combustible surface, such as gravel, sand or rock.
•    The fire has a defined perimeter made of rock, metal or cement.

Please refer to the City of Kenora Open Air Burning By-law 071-2016 for complete requirements and further details.

Before you burn, check that the conditions are safe to burn and that it is not windy. You can burn in the evening only, two hours before sunset and two hours after sunrise. Do not leave fires unattended, have suppression equipment on site, and make sure your fire is dead out.

We thank the public for their cooperation and continued diligence in keeping our community safe from fire.