Open air fire ban in effect for city of Ottawa

Ottawa residents will not be permitted to have campfires or use outdoor fireplaces starting on March 24.

Ottawa Fire Services has issued an open air fire ban for the city. During the ban, campfires, brush piles and wood burning outdoor fireplaces are not permitted, according to a statement by the fire service.

The ban includes agricultural burns, brush pile burns and those with an Open Air Fire Permit.

In a social media post, Ottawa fire said there has been "multiple brush fires" in Ottawa over the past 10 days.

"With our crews battling multiple brush fires in the last ten days, along with abnormally dry conditions due to a shortened winter, a city-wide burn ban was put into effect as of yesterday," Ottawa Fire said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

"Please be mindful when pitching cigarettes, especially out your car window and into the dry ditches."

Ottawa Fire says there will be zero tolerance enforcement of the ban as per the city's Open Air Fire Bylaw.

A fire ban is declared by the Fire Chief and is based largely on environmental conditions.

The weather forecast shows warming temperatures in the coming week, according to Environment Canada.

Residents with questions about the ban are asked to call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or email [e-mail].