A fire advisory is now in effect within town corporate limits as of June 3.
The advisory was deemed necessary due to dry conditions and will remain in effect until conditions improve.
Under the advisory, the following are still permitted in the Town of Ponoka:
• Approved backyard fire pits that have a non-combustible mesh screen cover and meet all the requirements under the Town of Ponoka’s Fire Protection Services Bylaw;
• Other wood or charcoal burning appliances that meet accepted requirements under the Town’s Bylaw;
• Portable propane fire pits and barbeques;
• Burns barrels with approved permits (commercial industrial districts only); and
• Fireworks with approved permits, which are only being approved on a case-by-case basis.
Citizens are asked to use extreme caution while using fire pits. Never leave a fire pit unattended while in use, and be sure to completely extinguish the flames and hot embers after you are done with it.
All fire pits within the Town of Ponoka are required to:
• Be at least three metres from buildings, property lines, or anything else that could catch fire;
• Be equal to or less than 0.6 metres (two feet) high;
• Be equal to or less than one metre (three feet) wide;
• Have fully enclosed sides made of bricks, concrete blocks, heavy-gauge metal or other non-combustible materials;
• Have a non-combustible mesh screen that covers the top of the fire pit with openings no larger than 1.25 cm (.5 inches) to stop sparks from flying out; and
• Have a water hose, fire extinguisher or some other acceptable means of controlling or extinguishing the fire nearby.
For updates on the fire advisories and fire bans across Alberta, including the Town of Ponoka, please visit www.albertafirebans.ca/.