By Nigel Maxwell

Fire pit calls spark concerns for P.A. Fire Dept.

Aug 23, 2018 | 9:00 AM

The Prince Albert Fire Department aims to splash some cold water on a local problem before it spreads out of control.

Over the past week, a number of calls have come in related to fire pits. In one incident from Tuesday, a homeowner was burning the wrong type of wood, producing a lot of black smoke. Fire Inspector Dave Davies said the most common calls they respond to are related to people burning unapproved materials.

“You can’t clean your yard up with trimmings and burn it in a fire pit, it just creates a lot more smoke,” he said.

A full list of prohibited burn items are listed on the fire department’s website, including plastics, garden refuse, painted or treated lumber, and animal carcasses. Davies said he could recall one unusual call from a few years ago.

“One guy, he cut up a rug into four-inch to six-inch strips and he was burning individual strips, sitting in that toxic smoke and telling us how good it burnt, and we explained to him how bad it is to be sitting in that smoke,” Davies said.

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According to the city of Prince Albert’s bylaw, a homeowner does not need a permit to have a fire pit, but is required to follow local bylaw regulations. In the other two incidents from this week, the homeowner had a fire pit that was not up to code. Davies said the fire pit must be made from non-combustible material like cement, brick, or sheet metal.

“We’ve gone to a few recently where they just dug a hole in the ground and of course the wrong kind of ground material (peat moss) can lead to a ground fire,” Davies said.

At present, there are no fines or tickets issued to irresponsible homeowners, but Davies said that may change as the city updates its bylaws.

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell