Now that the cooler weather has arrived, many people will be using fireplaces and outdoor fire pits more often. Whether you’re burning firewood in your fireplace, or roasting marshmallows to keep warm while at the cottage or camping, there are some important firewood regulations to keep in mind for the season.
Always remember that if you’re burning outdoors, you may need a fire permit, depending on what you’re burning and when. If you are having a campfire, you may not need a fire permit (depending on your location) as long as it stays below 2 metres in diameter and is ignited no more than two hours before sunset and put out no later than two hours after sunrise.
When choosing wood to burn indoors or outdoors, always buy local. If you’re traveling, never bring firewood from your home to your destination.
Don’t Move Firewood
Moving firewood between cities or regions comes with massive risks for transporting pests and invasive species and can have massive detriments on Canada’s environment and economy. A single piece of infested or diseased firewood can cause the death of thousands, or millions, of trees.
If you transport firewood between locations, you can spread invasive insects, plants, and diseases that can lead to an infestation in your destination that wouldn’t have otherwise happened. And when you leave your cottage or campsite, leave your extra firewood. Bringing it home poses the same risks.
Remember that you can’t always see pests and diseases on wood, so don’t rely on your eyes to determine if firewood is safe. Finally, never be afraid to ask a firewood supplier where they got their wood. Buy firewood from less than 80 kilometres from where it was cut.
Moving firewood in Ontario and Canada can contribute to the growing infestations of Emerald Ash Borer, Gypsy Moth, Pine Shoot Beetle, and Dutch Elm Disease.
Always buy firewood where you are planning to burn firewood.
Case Study: Asian Long Horned Beetle and Firewood
The Asian Long Horned Beetle is a beetle that was imported from Asia in the early 1990s to the United States. It posed a massive threat to trees across North America, as a tree that is infested with Asian Long Horned Beetle will die.
It was discovered in Canada in 2002 in the Toronto area, likely due to infested wood or packaging material crossing the border. Rigorous campaigns against moving firewood were launched across Southern Ontario to help curb the spread of this invasive species in our province. It would have been a disaster for this species to move into other areas of Ontario or begin to spread across the country.
After years of careful monitoring and relying on the public not to move firewood between regions, this species was declared eradicated in Canada by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food in 2020.
This is a great example of what we can prevent when we don’t move firewood.
Remember, buy it where you burn it!