The control of smoke is the main intent of the program. If weather forecasts are not favourable for the dispersion of smoke, some municipalities/burning zones may remain closed for a particular day.

• The nighttime burning of crop residue and non-crop herbage is banned year-round.

• From August 1 to November 15 each year, burning is prohibited unless otherwise authorized

• Safe burning practices, including adequate fire-guarding and proper supervision, must be followed.

• Smoke from any crop residue fire must NOT obscure any public roadway or create problems for neighboring residents.

• Manitoba Conservation requires a permit for burning within the Burning Permit Area (Forestry Primary Protection Zone)

• Burning within the boundaries of the City of Winnipeg is controlled by permits issued by the City and is conditional on the adjoining rural municipality being authorized for burning that day.

• From November 16 of one year to July 31 the following year, daytime burning is allowed in all municipalities between sunrise and sunset.

• Nighttime burning is banned year round.

Authorizations are also faxed or emailed to radio stations, RCMP detachments, MAFRI, Conservation and Health offices.

The Regulation places responsibility on farmers to determine whether burning is authorized for their area that day and for what hours.

• New authorizations are issued on a daily basis from August 1 to November 15. Hours for authorized burning may change from day to day, depending on weather forecasts. It is important for farmers to check the toll-free messages daily for openings and hours to ensure they are legally authorized to burn.
• At the beginning and the end of the authorization period ((August 1 - November 15) authorizations are often made for three- or four-day periods, but again, openings and times may change with each message, so farmers should always call first to make sure.

• Daily authorizations are based on the forecasts for smoke dispersion. By delaying the start of burning to 11:00 a.m., officials can assess weather measurements and observations taken that morning rather than relying on those taken the night before. It is particularly important to carefully scrutinize up-to-the-minute forecasts on days where dispersion conditions may be marginal.
  
• Another reason is to allow overnight atmospheric inversions to disperse and permit better smoke dispersion when fires are lit.

Tickets and charges laid may be served on the date of the infraction or at some date following the infraction. Tickets may be issued or charges laid for burning outside authorized hours, burning within municipalities or zones closed for the day, burning at night (any time of year), burning in an unsafe manner that adversely affects roadways or public health, burning without proper supervision or burning without proper fireguarding of fields.

Under The Summary Convictions Act, tickets are issued for $2,107. For charges under The Environment Act, first-time fines for individuals may be up to $50,000.

Click here to view the regulation in pdf format (Burning of Crop Residues and Non-Crop Herbage M.R. 77/93)
Click here for Enforcement information.

Smoke Dispersion - The Key to it All

 http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/soilwater/soil/fbd09s00a.html .

In addition, maps outlining the four Crop Residue Burning Zones are available from district Agriculture and Conservation offices. They are also published in farm papers each fall. Crop Residue Burning Zone boundaries correspond closely with the Public Weather Forecast Regions of Atmospheric Environment Branch, Environment Canada, but have been adapted to follow municipal boundaries.

The Burning Permit Area excludes much of the Swan River Valley, other than lands within three miles of the boundaries of the Duck Mountain and Porcupine Provincial Forests. Details regarding Burning Permit Area boundaries may be obtained from Manitoba Conservation District offices.

Manitoba Conservation requires a permit for any burning, including crop residue, within the Burning Permit Areas between April 1 and November 15 each year. The permits for burning crop residue are conditional on the daily authorizations for that municipality and subject to the hours set in that authorization.

All those requesting a permit must first complete a ‘Permit Application Form’ obtained through your local MAFRI office. You must identify the piece of land you are requesting a permit for (if the piece of land is a river lot, be sure to include the river lot number, Parish and acreage). A safety reason must also be clearly stated at the bottom of the application. For example, ‘I require a southwest wind to prevent smoke from traveling across P.T.H. 1. The more clear and concise your application the more quickly it can be processed.

All permit applications should go through your local MAFRI office. Try and have your permit requests in early, rather than on the same day you would like to burn. MAFRI staff must carefully evaluate each permit request to ensure that the field does qualify for a permit and to determine the appropriate wind conditions. The permit must then be written up and distributed to the appropriate authorities, including the applicant. In addition, staff may be dealing with more than one request at a time. If your request is received early (a few days prior to when you are ready to burn), staff can issue the permit when you are ready to burn a field and when conditions are right to do so.

• Cultivate a fireguard around the field.
• Ensure windrows are dry to minimize smoke.
• If winds are very light, ignite windrows at intervals of 30 to 40 feet (10 to 12 metres). If winds are moderate, burn against the wind.
• Do not burn at all if the wind is likely to blow smoke toward nearby roadways, neighbours, or communities.
• Keep a constant watch over the fire. If fire or smoke creates a hazard on adjacent roadways, or if any other dangerous situation develops, call you local RCMP immediately.

• The Regulation provides for burning of small amounts of straw outside authorized hours, if the straw is immediately impeding field operations such as seeding or tillage. The straw accumulations may result from wind, rain or water (floats), a broken bale, a windrow under 100 feet long, or a pile of straw resulting from stopping equipment. No more than three floats, windrows, bales, or piles with a combined area of one acre may be burned at one time.
• The exemption is not intended for finishing windrows after hours. Burning must be at the time when seeding or tillage is under way in the field. If the straw accumulations are not impeding immediate seeding or tillage operations, burning must take place within authorized times. There are no exemptions for flax straw.