Backyard fires in Chatsworth
Whether a backyard fire or fire pit is allowed in Chatsworth, Ontario, the permit rule, coverage level, and how to check today's fire ban.
Chatsworth By-law 2016-07 requires a Permit to Conduct Open Air Burning for open-air fires; only the Fire Chief can approve them. A small, confined fire used only to cook food on a grill or barbecue is exempt, and small recreational campfires up to 1 m in diameter are allowed without a permit if they burn only seasoned dry wood and stay 5 m from structures, trees, fences, and overhead wires. Larger burns need a permit and must be 25 m from structures.
Municipal ruleGas versus wood
Gas and propane fire pits are treated separately from open-air wood burning and are the simplest option; placement rules and any active ban still apply.
Today's fire ban
The Fire Chief may declare a total burn ban when conditions are hazardous; check the township website or fire department for notices.
For the provincial layer, check Ontario's fire restrictions and the Forest Fire Information Map, which show Restricted Fire Zones across the fire region.
Two separate rules can stop a backyard fire in Ontario: a municipal fire ban, which any municipality can declare during a dry spell, and a provincial Restricted Fire Zone, declared only in the northern fire region. Either one overrides your normal permission, so check both before you light up.
Backyard fire safety in Chatsworth
Where a recreational fire is allowed, these rules keep it legal and safe almost everywhere in Ontario:
- Burn only clean, dry, untreated firewood. Never garbage, leaves, brush, or treated or painted wood.
- Keep the fire small and contained in a pit, ring, or approved appliance, not a loose pile.
- Stay well back from buildings, fences, trees, decks, and the property line.
- Keep water or an extinguisher within reach, and never leave the fire unattended.
- Watch the wind. Skip it on dry, gusty days, and soak the ashes cold before you go inside.
- Never burn during a fire ban or Restricted Fire Zone, even if you usually could.
Chatsworth backyard fire questions
Can I have a backyard fire in Chatsworth?
Chatsworth By-law 2016-07 requires a Permit to Conduct Open Air Burning for open-air fires; only the Fire Chief can approve them. A small, confined fire used only to cook food on a grill or barbecue is exempt, and small recreational campfires up to 1 m in diameter are allowed without a permit if they burn only seasoned dry wood and stay 5 m from structures, trees, fences, and overhead wires. Larger burns need a permit and must be 25 m from structures. Source: Township of Chatsworth, Open Air Burning By-law 2016-07, last checked 2026-07-02.
Are gas or propane fire pits allowed in Chatsworth?
Gas and propane fire pits are treated separately from open-air wood burning and are the simplest option; placement rules and any active ban still apply.
How do I know if there is a fire ban in Chatsworth today?
The Fire Chief may declare a total burn ban when conditions are hazardous; check the township website or fire department for notices. For the provincial picture, check Ontario's fire restrictions page and the Forest Fire Information Map, which show Restricted Fire Zones in the fire region.
What can I burn in Chatsworth?
Only clean, dry, untreated firewood for a recreational fire. Burning household garbage, leaves, brush, painted or treated wood, and construction debris is prohibited across Ontario, fire ban or not.
When is fire season in Ontario?
Ontario's official fire season runs April 1 to October 31. During it the province manages wildfire and can declare a Restricted Fire Zone in the northern fire region. Municipal open-air burning rules apply all year, so check Chatsworth's by-law any time of year.
What happens if I have a fire during a ban in Chatsworth?
Municipalities and the province can fine illegal open-air burning, and you can be billed for the cost of fighting any fire you start. If a ban or Restricted Fire Zone is in effect, do not burn, even if you hold a permit.
Source
From Township of Chatsworth, Open Air Burning By-law 2016-07, last checked 2026-07-02. Apply at the municipal office, the Chatsworth Fire Station at 75 McNab Street, or by email or fax; the bylaw does not list a permit fee.
This is a plain-language summary, not the bylaw, and not legal advice. Open-air burning rules and bans change quickly, especially in dry weather. Always check your municipality's page and today's ban status before you light anything.
Other municipalities: Owen Sound, Southgate, The Blue Mountains, Georgian Bluffs. Or see every municipality.