Backyard fires in Woodstock
Whether a backyard fire or fire pit is allowed in Woodstock, Ontario, the permit rule, coverage level, and how to check today's fire ban.
Woodstock requires a fire permit, called an open-air burn permit, for any residential open-air burning under Municipal Code Chapter 0827, and once issued it stays valid for five years. Propane or natural-gas portable fire pits are exempt from the by-law and need no permit. Failing to get a permit carries a $50 fine ($65 total with victim fine surcharge), and failing to follow the permit's conditions is $75 ($95 total).
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
Woodstock Fire Department can call a burn ban during dry or dangerous conditions and posts updates through the city's news page; check before lighting any permitted fire. Woodstock sits in southwestern Ontario, outside the province's Restricted Fire Zone.
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 Woodstock
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.
Woodstock backyard fire questions
Can I have a backyard fire in Woodstock?
Woodstock requires a fire permit, called an open-air burn permit, for any residential open-air burning under Municipal Code Chapter 0827, and once issued it stays valid for five years. Propane or natural-gas portable fire pits are exempt from the by-law and need no permit. Failing to get a permit carries a $50 fine ($65 total with victim fine surcharge), and failing to follow the permit's conditions is $75 ($95 total). Source: City of Woodstock, Burn Permits, last checked 2026-07-02.
Are gas or propane fire pits allowed in Woodstock?
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 Woodstock today?
Woodstock Fire Department can call a burn ban during dry or dangerous conditions and posts updates through the city's news page; check before lighting any permitted fire. Woodstock sits in southwestern Ontario, outside the province's Restricted Fire Zone. 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 Woodstock?
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 Woodstock's by-law any time of year.
What happens if I have a fire during a ban in Woodstock?
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 City of Woodstock, Burn Permits, last checked 2026-07-02. Applications go to the Woodstock Fire Department by mail, fax, email or in person at Station #1, and a medical relief form is available for residents whose health is affected by smoke.
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: Blandford-Blenheim, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford. Or see every municipality.