The maximum penalty for breaking Red Deer County’s fire regulations has been boosted to $10,000 from $2,500.
The change was made to put the bylaw in step with maximum fines allowed under the Municipal Government Act (MGA). The minimum fine is now $500, up from $250 for violations of the county’s Fire Services Bylaw.
“By setting a minimum penalty of $500 and the maximum allowed under the MGA, we do not limit the courts in their decision,” says county fire services manager Allan Weiss in a report delivered to council on Tuesday.
The county also has the option of issuing bylaw tickets rather than going through a provincial offence process. Those fines were increased to $500, from $100, for a first-time offence and to $750, up from $200, for second and subsequent offences.
The changes were among a number introduced as the county overhauled its Fire Services Bylaw, which was last updated five years ago.
One major change eliminates the need for fire permits for burning barrels.
Weiss said relatively few fires have been sparked by burning barrels.
“Administratively speaking, it has become time consuming and irrelevant to issue permits for each property owner,” he says in the report.
Those using burn barrels must still follow all other regulations and will be held accountable for any fires that get away.
Another amendment that will affect landowners disposing of farm waste is the removal of fire permit season, which ran from April 1 to Oct. 31. During that period, landowners had to apply for a fire permit to undertake controlled burns on their land.
The time period followed Alberta Sustainable Resource Development’s fire season meant to cover the most dangerous time of the year for fires.
However, fire conditions can vary and the county wants to better oversee burning by requiring permits year-round. Since each permit is logged by the county and entered into its dispatch system, requiring approvals all year will give the county a better picture of what burning is going on in the county and help avoid unnecessary emergency responses.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com