Niagara Falls backyard fire regulations

*Update*

Niagara Falls City Council, did not ratify the controversial new by-law at the end of Tuesday night’s meeting.  As of right now, residents are still not allowed to have recreational, wood-burning fires in your yard but you are still able to use wood for outdoor cooking purposes.

There’s a hot topic being debated in Niagara Falls tonight, it’s over backyard fires. Niagara city council has an amendment that would close the so called “hot dog loophole” that makes it okay to have a wood fire burning in your backyard, so long as you are cooking on it.

Almost 2500 people have signed an online petition asking the city to let them have small backyard fires. Clake Bitter is a chef and he likes to cook over a fire in his backyard. He’s been rallying people to come to the council meeting tonight to try and help sway their decision.

104 supporters have signed a petition banning the fires all together.

City council has had many debates over the topic over the last 10 months. In June, the voted 7-1 to allow for a more permissive by-law. Councillor Kim Craitor asked for more debate over the topic and in August council voted 6-3 in favour of banning wood fires all together.

Councillor Wayne Thompson was one of the ones who voted to ban them but now he says. “If the people who are adversely effected can be protected with proper and vigorous complaint inspection and bringing problems under control then I think it’s a reasonable suggestion.”