‘A shockingly low number’: Halifax firefighters have issued just nine fines for illegal burning since 2020

Halifax firefighters have issued just nine tickets for illegal burning since they began tracking them in 2020.

Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency coughed up that number this week when asked how many tickets it had issued for illegal burns over the past five years.

“Our Fire Prevention Department began tracking the issuance of tickets for violations in 2020. Since we recorded tickets, we have issued nine tickets related to illegal burning,” said David Meldrum, Deputy Fire Chief of Halifax Regional Municipality, in an email.

“We should also note that most illegal burns are answered by fire crews providing education on the ordinance and fire safety. When further follow-up is required, a member of the Fire Prevention Division is dispatched to provide additional instruction, in addition to clear direction as to implications for further cases. Only in serious cases do we resort to tickets for compliance.

“Almost” enough

Wayne MacKay, professor emeritus of law at Dalhousie University, was surprised to learn that the number of tickets Halifax firefighters have issued since 2020 was so low.

“I’m amazed,” MacKay said Wednesday.

“It’s a remarkably small number… You’re much more likely to stop people from doing stupid things that could lead to a fire if you not only get a fairly hefty fine, but there’s a high probability that it will happen. enforced.”

Wildfires that started late last month destroyed 151 homes in the Upper Tantallon and Hammonds Plains area.

The number of tickets HRFE has issued for illegal incineration since 2020 is “not nearly” high enough, MacKay said.

“Nine over a three-year period seems miniscule,” he said.

“It must have been nine or more in the short period of time the fires were burning. So, in terms of other times when the ban is in place, I think there should be all sorts of offenses that are either not caught at all or if caught are dealt with strictly through education and not through any kind of fine .

‘Stronger enforcement’

The number of tickets handed out for illegal burning must increase, he said.

“Given what we seem to know about increasing wildfires, pretty well everywhere, but certainly in North America, Canada and the US, and all the issues associated with climate change, that it needs to be higher and enforced more strictly,” MacKay said .

“And I suppose one of the other sobering messages from the recent fire experience is that you can’t necessarily rely on people’s common sense because it doesn’t seem to be that common.”

He compared the burning fines to those for speeding.

“Speeding tickets aren’t irrelevant, but most people look around and hope for the best and don’t always go right under the speed limit,” MacKay said.

“So I think it’s a combination of the size of the fine and the likelihood of it actually being enforced.”

Both the mayor and prime minister turned on people in late May when devastating damage and out-of-control bushfires failed to stop some people from ignoring the fire ban and lighting up in their backyards.

‘Would bring some compliance’

At the time, Premier Tim Houston said the county was increasing the fine for anyone violating the county’s fire ban from $237.50 to $25,000.

“When the fine increased, as it did recently … I think that would certainly bring some compliance,” MacKay said.

He questioned whether the lower amount previously paid was a sufficient fine to deter illegal burning.

“It seems to me that given the fallout, and we had a recent example of that, $237.50 is way too small a fine,” MacKay said. “Probably $25,000 is quite excessive for normal times.”

MacKay suggested that the fine for illegal burning should be somewhere between $500 and $1,000.

‘Didn’t work very well’

“To really have a serious deterrent (against) people violating fire bans, you have to have a significant fine, or have a significant impact, and it has to be something that is likely to be enforced. And it seems that the model they’re currently using, which is education first and fines only as a last resort, hasn’t worked very well based on the rather notable violation during the most recent fire.

MacKay wondered if it would make sense for the city to hire more compliance officers for both compliance and education purposes.

“I think the nine tickets since 2020 is a shockingly low number,” he said.