Open burning - Can I burn today? 

Burning of yard clearing debris, land clearing debris or any other vegetation/wood waste is regulated by several levels of government. By following the steps below, you can ensure that, if you choose to burn, you are doing so legally.

Step 1: 
Are there any other options for disposing of your wood waste or yard waste such as composting or chipping? To protect the quality of the air that you and your neighbours breathe, alternatives are available. (See Alternatives to Burning box).

Step 2: 
Are you planning to burn in an area covered by a bylaw? You may not be able to burn in your area, or will require a permit to do so.

•	District of Squamish View Site
•	Town of Gibsons Download PDF
•	Resort Municipality of Whistler Download PDF
•	Bowen Island  604-947-9324

Step 3: 
If you are conducting a small backyard burn (click here for legal definition), skip to Step 4. For all other open burning, you must obtain a Burn Registration Number from the Ministry of Forests and Range by calling 1-888-797-1717.

Step 4: 
Are there any fire restrictions or bans in effect?
View Site

Step 5: 
Are you following all of the conditions in the province-wideOpen Burning Smoke Control Regulation?. To find out if the Ventilation Index will allow burning in your area, check the Ventilation Index box on the right hand side of this page. You can also get the Ventilation Index on a 24-hour information line: 1-604-582-5338.