About the Residential Indoor Wood Burning Bylaw

Frequently asked questions

• Residential Indoor Wood Burning System
  • What is a residential indoor wood-burning device?

    A residential indoor wood-burning device is capable of burning solid fuel and includes fireplace inserts, woodstoves, pellet stoves, open hearth fireplaces, masonry heaters, and wood-burning furnaces.

    

    Fireplace insert

    

    Wood stove

    

    Open fireplace

  • What am I required to do under Bylaw 1303?

    Before you use a residential indoor wood-burning device, you must:

    1. Submit a declaration of compliance with best burning practices

    If you own or operate a wood-burning device in the Metro Vancouver region, you must submit a declaration of compliance with best burning practices (see Schedule B) to the district director.

    2. Register the device if it is within the Urban Containment Boundary and it is eligible

    If a device address is within the Urban Containment Boundary, you must register it, if eligible, before use. Click here to check if an address is within the Urban Containment Boundary.

    Not all devices are eligible for registration. Eligibility for registration is set out in Part 4 of the bylaw and includes:

    • devices that are the sole source of heat,
    • devices that are operated exclusively with manufactured firelogs and
    • devices that meet the emission standards prescribed in Schedule A of the Bylaw.

    
    

    You will be asked to submit additional information in the Residential Indoor Wood Burning System to support your registration.

    Sample supporting documents for registration include:

    • certification marks
    • emission/performance specifications (grams/hour of fine particulates)
    • purchase receipt (if available)

    
    
  • What is a declaration of compliance?

    This is a Metro Vancouver form that a person signs confirming that they have read, understand, and will use the best burning practices set out in Schedule B of Bylaw 1303 when operating a residential indoor wood burning device.

    A person may submit this form using Metro Vancouver’s Residential Indoor Wood Burning System or they can request and submit a paper version of the form.

  • What is registration?

    Registration means providing Metro Vancouver with specific information about eligible wood-burning devices located within the Urban Containment Boundary. See Bylaw 1303, Section 11.

    A person may register a device using Metro Vancouver’s Residential Indoor Wood Burning System or they can request and submit a paper version of the registration form.

  • What is the cost to register?

    There is no fee to register.

    To submit a declaration and registration form through the Residential Indoor Wood Burning System, you will need a valid email address and working internet connection.

    If you have requested that forms be mailed to you, then completed forms may be dropped off or mailed (at your expense) to:

    Bylaw 1303 Forms
    c/o Metro Vancouver Regional District
    Environmental Regulation and Enforcement
    4515 Central Blvd, Burnaby BC V5H 0C6

  • How do I find my device’s certification or emission standard?

    Refer to your operator’s manual or other material provided to you when you purchased the device. Depending on the type of wood-burning device, certification marks may be found on the back (of a freestanding stove) or on the side behind the faceplate (if an insert) depending on the make and manufacturer. Contact your retailer or manufacturer if unsure.

    

    Device certification/emission standard label

  • What if my wood-burning device is not eligible for registration?

    If your device is not eligible for registration and it is located within the Urban Containment Boundary, you are prohibited from using it after September 14, 2025. For example, an open fireplace that does not exclusively use manufactured firelogs, or isn’t a sole source of heat, is ineligible for registration because it does not meet the emission standards in Schedule A of the bylaw.

  • What about rental units or strata complexes?

    All owners and operators (e.g., occupants or tenants) of multi-family units with residential indoor wood-burning devices are individually responsible for complying with the bylaw. A declaration of compliance with best burning practices must be submitted for each unit, and only one registration per eligible wood-burning device within the urban containment boundary is required.

    Strata corporations or rental management companies may request materials for distribution to residents by contacting us at 604-451-6677.

  • What if I never use a wood-burning device?

    No action is required.

  • What if I want to use a wood-burning device in the future?

    If at a later date you intend to use a device (e.g., if you buy a new home with a device), you will need to comply with the bylaw before using it.

  • How do I submit information to Metro Vancouver?

    To submit your information electronically, for the online declaration and registration system.

    To request paper copies of the declaration or registration forms, call 604-451-6677 or email riwb@metrovancouver.org.

  • What will Metro Vancouver do with my personal information?

    Personal information is collected under the authority of Part 3 of Metro Vancouver Regional District Residential Indoor Wood Burning Emission Regulation Bylaw 1303, 2020 (“the Bylaw”) and for the purposes of administration or enforcement of the Bylaw.

    Collection, use and disclosure of personal information by a public body such as Metro Vancouver Regional District (“Metro Vancouver”) is regulated by Part 3, Division 2 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 165, as amended. For further information about Metro Vancouver’s collection, use and disclosure of information, please contact Metro Vancouver’s Information and Privacy Officer at privacy@metrovancouver.org.

• About the Bylaw
  • What is residential indoor wood burning?

    Residential indoor wood-burning refers to using a wood-burning device, such as a fireplace or wood stove, indoors for heat or ambiance. It does not include using a wood-burning device to cook food, or outdoor wood-fired hot tubs and heaters. The bylaw specifically includes the following residential indoor wood-burning devices: fireplaces, fireplace inserts, masonry heaters, wood stoves, pellet stoves, and wood-burning furnaces.

  • Why is Metro Vancouver regulating residential indoor wood burning?

    Residential indoor wood burning is the single largest contributor to harmful fine particle emissions in the Metro Vancouver region. Fine particles are linked to negative health effects, particularly for the elderly, children, and people with chronic heart and lung issues.

    Although steps have been taken to reduce residential indoor wood burning emissions through voluntary measures, such as rebates for exchanging an old device for a new low-emission device and education campaigns, additional measures are required to reduce emissions.

  • What are the bylaw requirements?

    The bylaw requires residents who use wood-burning devices to comply with “Best Burning Practices”, as defined in Schedule B. The bylaw also prohibits burning during the warmer season (May 15 to September 15) unless the wood-burning device is the sole source of heat in a residence, is in an off-grid residence outside the Urban Containment Boundary, or if there is an emergency (such as a power outage lasting for 3 hours or more). Non-registered devices will not be permitted to burn in urban areas after September 15, 2025.

    Requirements will be phased in to promote cleaner technologies, with more stringent requirements in more densely populated areas. These requirements are being introduced in stages between 2020 and 2025 and will help further reduce exposure to wood smoke emissions:

    

  • What are best burning practices?

    Anyone using a wood-burning device in the Metro Vancouver region is required to use best burning practices to reduce wood smoke emissions.

    These best burning practices must be applied to minimize smoke:

    • Your fire must produce no visible emissions except for a maximum of 20 minutes within a four-hour period, when starting a new fire.
    • Operate your wood-burning device according to the manufacturer’s recommended operating procedures.
    • Only burning clean, seasoned wood or wood products, manufactured firelogs, or wood pellets and for the purpose of starting a fire only, non-glossy, uncoated, uncoloured paper.
    • Never burn garbage, including plastics, rubber, treated wood and painted wood. These release toxic chemicals.
    • Burn small, hot fires. They produce much less smoke than those left to smoulder.
    • If you need to burn a fire overnight to provide a heat source, load your fuel to prevent the fire smouldering. For more details, please see Schedule B of the bylaw
    • Inspect and maintain your wood-burning device regularly based on the recommendations of a qualified person.
  • When do the warm season burning prohibitions apply?

    The prohibitions apply during the warm season from May 15 to September 15 each year. You are prohibited from using your wood-burning device during the warm season, unless it is a home’s sole source of heat, or it is in an off-grid home located outside the Urban Containment Boundary, or there is an emergency (such as a power outage lasting 3 hours or more).

  • What is the Urban Containment Boundary?

    The Urban Containment Boundary designates the area or “footprint” in the region within which urban development may occur. The Urban Containment Boundary is defined in Metro Vancouver 2050 (page 14), the regional growth strategy, which was accepted by all Metro Vancouver members and the Metro Vancouver Board on Feb 24, 2023.

    The residential indoor wood burning bylaw treats wood-burning devices within the Urban Containment Boundary more strictly than devices outside it, because smoke from a single wood-burning device is likely to impact more people within the Urban Containment Boundary, where there is higher population density.

  • What if I rely on wood as a sole source of heat for my home?

    If you rely on wood heating as the only source of heat in your home, you must submit a declaration of compliance with best burning practices. Warm season restrictions (May 15 – September 15) do not apply for homes with no other source of heat.

    If wood burning is the sole source of heat and you are inside the Urban Containment Boundary, you need to register eligible devices with Metro Vancouver to continue using them after September 2025. Devices outside the Urban Containment Boundary do not need to be registered.

  • What if I need to use my wood-burning device?

    In the following circumstances, you may use a wood-burning device:

    • During emergencies, such as power outages lasting more than three hours.
    • In remote, off-grid locations located outside the Urban Containment Boundary.
    • If operated within a low-income household.
    • You may register a device in households where a wood-burning device provides the only source of heat.

    
    
• Background Information
  • Do I have to remove an existing fireplace or woodstove from my home?

    Removing an existing fireplace or woodstove is not required under the bylaw. Anyone who chooses to replace an old uncertified wood-burning device with a new low-emission device can apply for a rebate through Metro Vancouver’s Community Wood Smoke Reduction Program.

  • Should all wood-burning devices be registered with Metro Vancouver?

    Eligible devices, such as those that meet emissions criteria, provide the sole source of heat in a home, or use only manufactured firelogs, which are being used in urban areas must be registered with Metro Vancouver through the Declaration and Registration System.

    For more information about emissions standards, see Schedule A of the bylaw.

  • Why do I need to declare compliance with best burning practices?

    Using best burning practices is a requirement of Bylaw 1303 and will reduce wood smoke emissions. All users of wood-burning devices in the region must submit a declaration of compliance with best burning practices to Metro Vancouver. The declaration confirms that a resident has read the best burning practices and agrees to operate their wood-burning devices in compliance with these practices.

    The best burning practices declaration must be renewed every 3 years for homes within the Urban Containment Boundary.

  • How will compliance with the bylaw be monitored and enforced?

    Bylaws can be phased in to allow time for people to understand the requirements and prepare before certain requirements take effect. In these early stages, education is the most effective and efficient means of achieving compliance. Enforcement action may progress to warnings, which could be verbal or written, with guidance on how to comply. If non-compliance continues and depending on the severity of the situation, stronger deterrents such as issuing a Notice of Bylaw Violation or Municipal Tickets with fines ranging from $100 to $500 may be considered.

  • Will there be education programs to support the bylaw?

    Metro Vancouver will be raising awareness about the bylaw and the impacts of wood smoke emissions on public health. Promoting compliance with the bylaw will initially focus on education and outreach about the requirements and ways to reduce wood smoke emissions through platforms including Metro Vancouver’s webpage, social media, and public advertising across the region.

  • Do I have to register twice if I own two wood-burning devices?

    Yes. You must register each eligible device that is being operated within a residence that is located in the Urban Containment Boundary.

  • Do I have to register wood-burning devices in outbuildings or accessory buildings?

    Yes. If your property is within the Urban Containment Boundary, wood-burning devices used in accessory buildings on a residential property, such as workshops, must be registered.

  • Who can I contact if I have concerns about emissions from a wood-burning device?

    You can report any concerns about emissions from residential wood smoke with Metro Vancouver by calling the complaint line at 604-436-6777, or using an online web form. Metro Vancouver records the details you provide and protects personal information as required under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The officer assigned to follow up on your complaint may call you for additional information, if you have agreed to that.