Open burning & fires — Halifax, Nova Scotia

Can I have a backyard fire? Do I need a burn permit?

Regional municipality of Halifax has 1 adopted bylaw on file, verified against the original document on 2026-06-05.

By-law O-109 Respecting Open Air Burning adopted bylaw
permit required True s. 4(1)
permit issuer Fire Chief s. 2(j); s. 5(1)
allowed conditions Permit required except in No Permit Required Zone, campgrounds, CSA/ULC appliances, gas/propane; not within 23 m of dwelling; no burning 12:01 a.m.-2:00 p.m. (Mar 15-Oct 15); two persons 19+ present s. 4(2)-(3); s. 6(3); s. 6(5a); s. 6(2)
fine range $250-$10,000 s. 12(1)
scout note

Regulates open-air burning across HRM. Prohibits burning waste, rubber, plastic; minimum setbacks and burn permits required. Done and passed in Council Oct 19, 2010 (effective Oct 23, 2010); amended 2014 and 2017.

By-law O-109 — dedicated page

Halifax.ca landing page for By-law O-109 with overview and links.

Machine-readable: open-burning.json · Official website: https://www.halifax.ca · Last verified 2026-06-05 · Open burning & fires across Canada