BMP 5 – Fire Prevention

Mineral exploration, as with any activity conducted in a woodland area, has the potential to start a forest fire or have program operations affected by a forest fire or fire suppression activities. Manitoba averages approximately 544 wildfires every year, many of which threaten homes, businesses, farms, or industrial installations. Fire is a natural element in any forest or grassland. Like storms, avalanches and floods, it is a powerful force of change in nature. To reduce potential liability concerns, the mineral industry must take every precaution to prevent a forest fire or to suppress a fire if one originates from its activities.

All fire prevention measures and guidelines should be followed on Crown Land and in Provincial Parks.Operators should be aware that under The Wildfires Act anyone who causes a fire may be responsible for the costs associated with suppression activities.

The boreal forest is a fire prone environment, and it is important to consider this fact when planning and equipping an exploration project site or camp. Managing potential ignition sources, having the required training and equipment to deal with a wildfire, and following some basic FireSmart principles can significantly reduce wildfire risks.

For safety and fire suppression reasons the Department of Natural Resources and Northern Development may need to contact the applicant without delay to confirm where the field crews and equipment are located. In extreme cases, Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development may recommend the evacuation of a site because of the potential threat from wildfire.

NOTE: The operation must have a means of reporting a forest fire from the work site.

To report a fire, please call 1-800-782-0076.

Burning Permit

An individual or company will require a Burning Permit if there are plans to burn any material at an exploration site between April 1 and November 15. The permit outlines the conditions that must be met, the allowable timing for burning, as well as when fires must be extinguished. Open fires are not allowed. Only approved fire pits may be used. If an approved fire pit is unavailable, a camp stove must be used.

A Burning Permit is subject to cancellation or a change of permit conditions at any time if the fire hazard increases or reaches a stage where it is no longer safe to burn.

Contact the Regional Conservation Office in the district to obtain a Burning Permit.

NOTE: In an emergency, a person may, without a Burning Permit, start an outdoor fire for the purpose of cooking, keeping warm or signaling for help as laid out in Sec 19(5) of The Wildfires Act .

Travel Restrictions

During the wildfire season between April 1 and November 15, there may be times when high to extreme fire danger conditions require the Manitoba government to implement fire and travel restrictions within the province. Restrictions are limits placed on any activity that has the potential to cause a wildfire under the current or forecasted fire danger conditions. These activities could include travel, industrial operations, agricultural burning, fireworks, outdoor fires, and campfires.

Visit Manitoba Wildfire Service webpage for up-to-date information and restrictions. Information about provincial park fire and travel restrictions can be found here.

Equipment

All operations require firefighting equipment to be onsite in a readily accessible area and serviceable during the fire season. All water packs and pails are to be kept full of water during the fire season and is outlined in the Wildfires Regulations of the Wildfires Act. This equipment is only to be used for firefighting and includes:

A person using a Class 1, 2 or 3 machine in connection with restricted work in a burning permit area during the wildfire season must ensure that for a machine of the class set out in Column 1 of the following table, the equipment set out opposite in Column 2 is securely affixed to each machine used in the operation or in close proximity to each machine if the equipment cannot be affixed to the machine.

Column 1 Class of Machine	Column 2 Equipment Required for each Machine
Class 1 machine	One 5 lb ABC fire extinguisher or two 2.5 lb ABC fire extinguishers
Class 2 machine	One 10 lb ABC fire extinguisher or two 5 lb ABC fire extinguishers
Class 3 machine (if equipped with an onboard fire suppression system)	One 10 lb ABC fire extinguisher or two 5 lb ABC fire extinguishers. One back tank pump unit containing at least 18 L of water or one additional 10 lb ABC fire extinguisher
Class 3 machine (if not equipped with an onboard fire suppression system)	One 20 lb ABC fire extinguisher or two 10 lb ABC fire extinguishers One back tank pump unit containing at least 18 L water or one additional 20 lb fire extinguisher

Class 1 machine examples include a bush saw, power hand tool or power saw, an off-road vehicle.

Class 2 machine examples include an equipment servicing vehicle, haulage truck, loader, skid steer, tractor, drilling or other mechanical equipment used for mineral exploration, road construction equipment.

Class 3 equipment examples include chipper, sawmill, wood harvester, delimber, forwarder, slasher or a skidder used in connection with a logging operation.

A person carrying on any restricted work in a burning permit area during the wildfire season must ensure that the equipment set out in Column 1 of the following table is available at each camp or worksite in the amount set out opposite in Column 2 or Column 3 for the applicable number of persons working at the camp or worksite.

Column 1 Required equipment	Column 2 1 to 9 persons working at camp or worksite – pieces of equipment required	Column 3 10 or more persons working at camp or worksite – pieces of equipment required
A pumping unit with a minimum pressure of 50 psi, coupled with 600 feet of forestry hose and accessories	0	1
A container able to hold a minimum of 15 L of water	3	5
Any combination of axes, Pulaski or shovels	4	10

Camp Burning Barrels

Camp burning barrels are a necessary tool for fire prevention at a site. The following guidelines should be followed to help prevent a fire at an exploration site:

All burning must be done in a controlled manner;
The burning barrel should be equipped with an 8-16 mm grated top to help prevent the escape of embers;
The burning barrel should be placed on a cement pad or mineral soil, be surrounded by a one metre wide strip of mineral soil, and be at least 3 metres from any flammable material;
Fires must always be attended until they are completely out; and
The burning location must be equipped with firefighting tools, such as a shovel, a chemical fire extinguisher and a full water pack.

NOTE: Changes to The Wildfires Act were enacted on April 1, 2024, See Fact Sheet on Elimination of Wildfire Work Permits. The primary goal of the changes is to enhance public safety by improving wildfire safety regulations and their enforcement and making them more transparent to Manitoban and interprovincial operators.

The changes made under The Wildfires Amendment Act remove the wildfire work permit for industry. This will be achieved by replacing the current Wildfire Work Permit requirements with a more integrated regulation system, which will reduce red tape and facilitate a quicker start to industrial operations, saving costs and time for industry.

Further, these changes are anticipated to lessen the internal administrative load on the Manitoba government, which is currently required for the review and issuance of Wildfire Work Permits.

The proposed regulation also sets out publicly available standard safety requirements. These requirements are designed to be applied consistently and effectively across all industrial operations within the burning permit areas.

Contacts

Related Acts and Regulations

W128 – The Wildfires Act

W128 – Wildfires Regulations

C340 – The Crown Lands Act

P20 – Provincial Parks Act

Appendix A: Fact Sheet on Elimination of Wildfire Work Permits

April 1, 2024

Important Notice: Wildfire Work Permits have been eliminated

Effective April 1, 2024, Wildfire Work Permits are no longer required for industrial and other work operations in the Burning Permit areas.
These operations must now comply with the requirements prescribed by the new Wildfires Regulation.
Burning Permits and Travel Permits are still required.
These changes were introduced in the Wildfires Amendment Act and new Wildfires regulation.

Changes that came into force on April 1, 2024 are as follows:

The Wildfires Act

The wildfire work permit system is replaced by the new Wildfires Regulation that prescribes fire safety requirements for industrial and other operations in the burning permit areas.
The following work cannot be carried out within a burning permit area unless the person (operation) complies with the requirements prescribed by the Wildfires Regulation:
- an industrial operation;
- construction of a dam, bridge or camp;
- construction or operation of a mill that produces timber products;
- an operation that is likely to cause the accumulation of slash or debris on land; or
- any other work prescribed by regulation (currently no other work has been prescribed).
Augmented enforcement is introduced that adds clear authorities to inspect for compliance and to investigate wildfire causes.
Authorities are clarified for officers to enter private property for inspections and investigations, including authorities to enter or cross lands, use equipment, conduct tests and take samples and records.
Prohibitions and ability to stop work to rectify non-compliance issues are updated.

Maximum penalties for convictions under the Act are increased and are now:

$100,000 and no more than two years for imprisonment or both for individuals; and
$1,000,000 for corporations.

The Wildfires Regulation

Wildfire work permits are replaced by regulatory requirements.
Mandatory firefighting equipment is prescribed for industrial and other operations in the burning permit areas, based on class of machines being utilized, and the number of persons at a camp or worksite.
Terms and conditions previously included in wildfire work permits are now reflected as regulatory requirements in the new regulation.
The list of officers with the authority to enforce the Wildfires Act and regulation has been updated and expanded.
Provisions are carried forward from the Burning Permit Areas Regulation, which was repealed on April 1, 2024, including the legal definition of the burning permit areas.
Restrictions are prescribed on the use, discharge, ignition, and unsafe handling and storage of incendiary and tracer ammunition, fireworks, firecrackers, sky lanterns, and exploding targets, some of which were previously included in the Burning Permit Areas Regulation.
Requirements are prescribed for the bulldozing, removing, accumulating and compacting of vegetation and debris by industrial and other operators in the burning permit areas, including the requirement that windrows or piles of these materials be no higher than 0.6 metres.
The regulation allows for an exception to be made to these vegetation and debris windrow requirements, namely that a burning permit, a travel permit or a permit or licence issued under another act (such as the Forest Act) may provide an exemption from these requirements, or may set out alternative requirements.
The neg regulation also provides an exception for forestry operations to the bulldozing, removing, accumulating and piling of vegetation and debris during the cutting or harvesting operation, if certain conditions are met.
These exception provisions aim to provide a similar level of flexibility as was previously provided by adjusting terms and conditions that were included in wildfire work permits.

Burning Permit

Travel Restrictions

Equipment

Camp Burning Barrels

Contacts

Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources

Municipal and Northern Relations

Environment and Climate Change

Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources

Related Acts and Regulations

Appendix A: Fact Sheet on Elimination of Wildfire Work Permits

The Wildfires Act

The Wildfires Regulation

References:

Wildfires Act

Wildfires Regulation