Backyard fires in Minden Hills
Whether a backyard fire or fire pit is allowed in Minden Hills, Ontario, the permit rule, coverage level, and how to check today's fire ban.
Minden Hills By-law 24-36 allows open-air fires only as authorized. Daytime burning is prohibited from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the fire season (April 1 to October 31). Outside those hours, fires may be set if wood or wood by-products, under 2 m in size, at least 3 m from combustibles, attended, and extinguished before leaving. Contractors need a permit for daytime work; small cooking or warmth fires are allowed if confined and supervised.
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
All open-air fires, including charcoal and wood barbecues, are prohibited during a total fire ban or MNRF restriction.
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 Minden Hills
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.
Minden Hills backyard fire questions
Can I have a backyard fire in Minden Hills?
Minden Hills By-law 24-36 allows open-air fires only as authorized. Daytime burning is prohibited from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the fire season (April 1 to October 31). Outside those hours, fires may be set if wood or wood by-products, under 2 m in size, at least 3 m from combustibles, attended, and extinguished before leaving. Contractors need a permit for daytime work; small cooking or warmth fires are allowed if confined and supervised. Source: Township of Minden Hills, last checked 2026-07-02.
Are gas or propane fire pits allowed in Minden Hills?
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 Minden Hills today?
All open-air fires, including charcoal and wood barbecues, are prohibited during a total fire ban or MNRF restriction. 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 Minden Hills?
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 Minden Hills's by-law any time of year.
What happens if I have a fire during a ban in Minden Hills?
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 Minden Hills, last checked 2026-07-02. Small cooking or warmth fires are generally exempt if they meet size and supervision requirements; daytime burning is banned in fire season.
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: Algonquin Highlands, Highlands East, Dysart et al, Haliburton County. Or see every municipality.