Fire is warm and fun! This isn’t called a Burn for nothing, after all. It’s also not the safest way to have fun, so to avoid any unfortunate incidents the Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) would like you to be aware of a few points:
Light it in a safe place
Never light a fire directly on the ground or in the forest. Raise your fire off the ground on a non-flammable platform, metal sheet on bricks, in a portable fire pit, or in a burn barrel on legs or bricks. If you’re using a burn barrel, it must have a metal mesh top with openings 0.5cm or smaller. You must also make sure a radius of 10 feet around the fire is clear of brush, dry grass, or anything else flammable.
Make sure you have the right supplies
You must bring your own fuel or firewood – no foraging or cutting down trees. You must have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby just in case. No pyrotechnics or fireworks are allowed.
Always keep watch
Your fire must be attended at all times, and will be put out if it’s found unattended. This includes propane fire pits and flame effects. Make sure if you’re temporarily putting anything flammable in the burn perimeter (like a wet pair of shoes to dry) you personally keep watch.
Fire Performance
We welcome fire spinning and similar performances, which are subject to the same rules as any fire. We don’t want you to catch on fire too much, so you must have a wet or fire-retardant blanket ready. Remember – as a Leave No Trace event, be careful not to spill, spin out, or burn fuel on the ground.
To honor our land use agreement and make sure that everyone is safe, we will have a dedicated fire performance area called “The Sandbox”. This will be your space to play, practice, and perform during the event. More details about the location and hours for The Sandbox will be released in our Survival Guide a few weeks before the event.
Reach out to FAST if you have any questions or concerns
FAST (Fire Art Safety Team) is here to make sure that everybody has a safe Burn. If you have any questions about fire policies or concerns both before and during the event, email fast@sideburn.ca.
Related resources
Fire Art and Flame Effects
For more information on our guidelines and regulations regarding flame effects and fire art, please review the full Flame Effects and Fire Art Policy page.
Fire Pits and Burn Barrels
For detailed information on the regulations and safety guidelines for fire pits and burn barrels, please review the full Fire Pits and Burn Barrels Policy page.
FAST-Required Documentation
Learn how to create a Burn Plan and review the FAST-required documentation for planned art burns in our comprehensive guide.
