Due to recent precipitation and a slight change in conditions, Fernie Fire Rescue is temporarily rescinding the ban on backyard fires in the City of Fernie.
This ban relaxation is meant to support our community in responsibly enjoying a backyard fire at home. Only residents that currently hold a valid fire pit permit are authorized to have a backyard fire, and we will not be authorizing new permits at this time. We will be actively monitoring the situation and if there is an increase in calls impacting our limited resources, or we find this leads to a rise in the number of gatherings in contravention of physical distancing orders, the ban will be re-imposed.
The ban on Category 2 and Category 3 open fires remains in effect. Fernie Fire Rescue remains concerned about the risk of wildfire to our community and continues to look at ways to proactively mitigate that risk, particularly while resources are spread thin to manage the COVID-19 public health emergency and other seasonal risks like freshet.
Thank you for responsibly enjoying your backyard fire and helping to keep our community safe.
