Backyard fires in East Gwillimbury
Whether a backyard fire or fire pit is allowed in East Gwillimbury, Ontario, the permit rule, coverage level, and how to check today's fire ban.
East Gwillimbury requires a fire permit for any open-air fire, including a typical backyard recreational fire, currently priced at $45.40 for the calendar year. A recreational fire is capped at 61 cm (2 feet) square and 61 cm high, can only burn between 4 p.m. and 1 a.m., and must use only commercial charcoal, briquettes, or clean dry wood. The one exemption is a fire fully contained inside a fixed or portable barbecue used for cooking, which needs no permit.
Municipal ruleAlso covers East Gwillimbury.
Gas 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 town's Chief Fire Official can suspend burning during dry or high-risk conditions, and East Gwillimbury has posted formal burn ban notices on its website in past dry spells; that's where residents should check before lighting a fire.
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 East Gwillimbury
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.
East Gwillimbury backyard fire questions
Can I have a backyard fire in East Gwillimbury?
East Gwillimbury requires a fire permit for any open-air fire, including a typical backyard recreational fire, currently priced at $45.40 for the calendar year. A recreational fire is capped at 61 cm (2 feet) square and 61 cm high, can only burn between 4 p.m. and 1 a.m., and must use only commercial charcoal, briquettes, or clean dry wood. The one exemption is a fire fully contained inside a fixed or portable barbecue used for cooking, which needs no permit. Source: Town of East Gwillimbury, By-law No. 2002-20 (Fire Setting By-law), last checked 2026-07-02.
Are gas or propane fire pits allowed in East Gwillimbury?
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 East Gwillimbury today?
The town's Chief Fire Official can suspend burning during dry or high-risk conditions, and East Gwillimbury has posted formal burn ban notices on its website in past dry spells; that's where residents should check before lighting a fire. 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 East Gwillimbury?
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 East Gwillimbury's by-law any time of year.
What happens if I have a fire during a ban in East Gwillimbury?
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 Town of East Gwillimbury, By-law No. 2002-20 (Fire Setting By-law), last checked 2026-07-02. Permits must be activated before each burn by calling the town's Emergency Services office (905-478-4282) with your permit number and planned dates, since burning without an activation number counts as burning without a permit at all.
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: Aurora, King, Newmarket, Georgina. Or see every municipality.