Belleville’s new open air burning by-law will stay as is at least for another year.
After receiving some complaints about open air burning in the city’s urban area, which was just allowed for the first time this year, council asked Fire Chief Monique Belair for a report on the by-law and complaints received.
Seventy-seven burn complaints from the urban area were received and 59 from the rural part of the city, with some complaints in both areas being unfounded.
Chief Belair says people need more education about the the by-law’s details.
“We’ve actually had people complaining that a neighbour is smoking a cigarette on the back deck so I just think that we have to be very cautious about how the by-law is being perceived as it’s in its first infancy stage.”
Chief Belair said the department is exploring doing more public service announcements or having information circulated in the city’s tax bills to get information out to the public.
