The St. John's Regional Fire Department is alerting residents to be careful when using outdoor fireplaces, commonly referred to as chimineas.
As warm weather approaches, the department receives an increase in inquiries and complaints about the requirements and safe use of outdoor fireplaces.
Open air fireplaces, such as chimineas, are permitted without a permit provided that only seasoned wood is used; wind speeds are not in excess of 25 km per hour, and smoke does not cause an annoyance to adjacent properties.
These open air fireplaces are required to be installed in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions, if supplied; located at least three metres from any building, structure or combustible material; capable of completely containing/enclosing the fire; equipped with a spark arrester and/or screen to prevent escape of sparks and/or burning embers; placed on a firm and level surface which has a non-combustible base beneath it, a minimum of 0.5 m completely outside the perimeter of the unit, and attended by someone with access to a fire extinguisher, bucket of water or another water source while operating.
A copy of the complete regulations can be obtained on the St. Johns and Mount Pearl web sites at www.stjohns.ca/bylaws.nsf/wbylawnum/1306 and www.mountpearl.ca respectively.
For further information or assistance concerning this or any other fire safety-related matter within the region serviced by the St. Johns Regional Fire Department, please call 576-3905.
Fire department issue warnings about outdoor fireplace use
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Published on
May 4, 2010
- Published on June 30, 2010
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Staff ~ The Telegram
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Comments
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- Rachel Harris
- - June 16, 2011 at 12:37:19
I didn't know that open fires were called chimineas. That is quite interesting. I LOVE myfireplace. It is indoors, but this article makes me want to get a chiminea. That would be so fun in the summer, we could stay up all night and stay around the fire. Then we would smell like camp fire all of the time! Thanks for this great article!
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- b
- - July 2, 2010 at 15:04:13
Willie Hunt got a point...next thing ya know we won't be allowed to have patio heaters, scented candle etc. BRING ON DA BARREL!!
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- Jerome
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:52:37
My hillbilly neighbour 2 doors up uses one of these outdoor firepits in downtown St. John's. He cooks everything from caplin to burning residential garbage. When he does burn wood it's usually the sopping wet birch from the Irving gas station or scraps of pressure treated lumber he scrounges off the street. Every night during the summer he has this going, smoking out the street. Can't open my window, the misses can't use the clothesline and I have to turn the air exchanger. Now, I'm a tolerant man and I too likes a drink by the fire. I would not be so offended if he invited me over for a beer and some of that caplin.
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- Fishermans Wife
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:45:47
I enjoy reading the paper online, and the comments are usually half interesting, often narrow minded, sometimes insightful and thought provoking. These however, were just downright AWESOME! Funny, entertaining, had my husband and I laughing over our morning coffee. And yes, we do have a fire pit out back......where many the cold one will be drank again this summer.
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- Willie
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:42:13
There's no such thing as seasoned wood and if you had to wait for the winds to die down you would never have one. Down this way we pile up a bit of garbage in the old barrel and lite her up. The neighbours always take there clothes in off the line and turn off there air machines like they should. Theres nothing like a feed of kippers or planking a salmon outdoors.
Willie Hunt
Pouch Cove NL -
- Da by's
- - July 2, 2010 at 14:38:40
Ah by, ya don't know what yer missin. Me and da by's, we gets a few pickets off the neighbers fence, a bucket of gas and hup she goes. A cupla doze Blue and a laugh by all. We makes it up to da neighber and tosses da empties behind his shed, to pay fer da pickets I mean. What da frig is a chiminea?
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- b
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:53:21
Willie Hunt got a point...next thing ya know we won't be allowed to have patio heaters, scented candle etc. BRING ON DA BARREL!!
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- Jerome
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:37:06
My hillbilly neighbour 2 doors up uses one of these outdoor firepits in downtown St. John's. He cooks everything from caplin to burning residential garbage. When he does burn wood it's usually the sopping wet birch from the Irving gas station or scraps of pressure treated lumber he scrounges off the street. Every night during the summer he has this going, smoking out the street. Can't open my window, the misses can't use the clothesline and I have to turn the air exchanger. Now, I'm a tolerant man and I too likes a drink by the fire. I would not be so offended if he invited me over for a beer and some of that caplin.
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- Fishermans Wife
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:25:29
I enjoy reading the paper online, and the comments are usually half interesting, often narrow minded, sometimes insightful and thought provoking. These however, were just downright AWESOME! Funny, entertaining, had my husband and I laughing over our morning coffee. And yes, we do have a fire pit out back......where many the cold one will be drank again this summer.
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- Willie
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:19:18
There's no such thing as seasoned wood and if you had to wait for the winds to die down you would never have one. Down this way we pile up a bit of garbage in the old barrel and lite her up. The neighbours always take there clothes in off the line and turn off there air machines like they should. Theres nothing like a feed of kippers or planking a salmon outdoors.
Willie Hunt
Pouch Cove NL -
- Da by's
- - July 1, 2010 at 21:13:33
Ah by, ya don't know what yer missin. Me and da by's, we gets a few pickets off the neighbers fence, a bucket of gas and hup she goes. A cupla doze Blue and a laugh by all. We makes it up to da neighber and tosses da empties behind his shed, to pay fer da pickets I mean. What da frig is a chiminea?
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