You can’t have a campfire at the cottage or in your backyard in town this evening, but you can as of one minute after midnight.
That’s when the province is lifting the restricted fire zone designation.
MNRF regional fire information officer Isabelle Chenard reminds us of the rules for campfires.
“Fires are to be started no sooner than two hours before sunset and extinguished no later than two hours after sunrise,” she says, adding to make sure you have water and tools nearby in case the fire starts to get out of control. “If you’re looking for the full set of outdoor burning rules, you can visit our website at Ontario.ca/forest fire.”
You might want to check the website of the municipality responsible for where you’re planning your campfire. Timmins, Cochrane and Iroquois Falls are okay, for example, but Kapuskasing still isn’t allowing outdoor burning. That’s also a good idea before you start burning grass or brush, to see if it’s allowed and whether you need a permit for it.