Ban on Backyard Fires in Kitchener being Considered...

Kitchener City Council is considering a complete ban on backyard fires.

Here is an from the Saturday Record:

KITCHENER — In the heart of the Laurentian West subdivision, Charlotte Keary and her husband Dennis like nothing more than to end their day sipping coffees in front of a crackling fire in their tiny backyard on Pine Martin Crescent.

For the past 14 years they enjoyed fires in their cast-iron chiminea a few nights a week with never a complaint from neighbours. Their street runs into Wilderness Drive that connects with Ottawa Street beside the Sunrise Shopping Centre. It is typical of most suburban neighbourhoods.

The Keary’s are livid at the prospect of losing the soothing ritual of an evening fire.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Charlotte said.

On Monday, city councillors will consider a report with two options. The first, maintain the current bylaw that allows fires, but hold public consultations this fall. The second, tighten the rules so much that all recreational fires will be eliminated in subdivisions and built-up areas.

“To ban something altogether because one person is allergic to smoke is very unfair to the people who enjoy them,” Charlotte said. “I can certainly see banning them for part of the day.”
City councillors called for the report following complaints from Pat Schneider on Sydney Street. She said she is allergic to the smoke, her husband has asthma and she has been forced to rewash laundry that was hanging on the line because of a neighbour’s fire.

Schneider called for an all-out ban on outdoor fires and she has some support among city councillors.
But Charlotte suggests a compromise.

Ban fires during the day when people have laundry hanging on lines. People with medical conditions like asthma can also enjoy their backyards during the day. But in the evening, say from 7 p.m. to midnight, allow others to enjoy recreational fires in their backyards, she said.

“To stop us from using that is very unfair when there are so many other things that bylaw officers could be looking at,” Charlotte said.

The City of Waterloo bans all open fires. The City of Cambridge allows fires, but you must get a permit and there is no burning within 150 metres of any building, which makes it illegal to set fires in just about every neighbourhood.

One option up for consideration by Kitchener council on Monday bans all fires within 20 metres of any building, structure, hedge, fence, roadway or property line. That option also calls for permits at a cost of $72.33. Those changes would amount to a ban on open fires in all but a few areas of Kitchener.

City staff looked at the bylaws in 14 similar-sized municipalities and found 13 allow open-air fires. Many require special permits though. Fires must be at least three metres and up to 60 metres away from buildings or property lines. In many cases the minimum-distance rules eliminate the possibility of lighting recreational fires in most parts of a city.

Terry Pender, Record staff