As the air cools and Metro Vancouver residents start dreaming of cozy fireplace evenings, there’s an important deadline on the horizon. Under Metro Vancouver’s Residential Indoor Wood Burning Bylaw, anyone who wants to continue using a wood-burning fireplace or stove in an urban area must register their device and declare they follow Best Burning Practices by Sept. 15, 2025.
This bylaw isn’t about banning fireplaces, it’s about protecting air quality and public health while supporting responsible wood burning.
“Residential wood burning is the source of more than 25% of fine particulate matter emissions across the region and poses particular health risk to infants, the elderly and people with medical conditions,” says Julie Saxton, program manager of the Air Quality Environmental Regulation & Enforcement team. “We’ve identified this as the largest emission source, making it an important target for us to reduce.”
Why the bylaw exists
Wood smoke is a major source of fine particulate matter — tiny particles that can enter deep into our lungs and even our bloodstream. That’s why Metro Vancouver, as the authority responsible for air quality in the region, introduced Bylaw 1303: to reduce harmful wood smoke and support cleaner air for everyone.
While many think of wood smoke as natural, it contains many air contaminants. One old wood stove can emit more fine particulate matter than lower emission devices such as certified wood stoves or certified fireplace inserts. That’s why the bylaw focuses on encouraging the use of cleaner appliances and better burning habits.
"What the bylaw does is put more stringent requirements in place for more densely populated areas, particularly in urban and suburban areas,” adds Saxton. “We are not prohibiting wood burning, this is more about setting standards for cleaner practices to reduce emissions and health impacts.”
What the bylaw requires
If you live within Metro Vancouver’s Urban Containment Boundary and want to keep using your wood-burning fireplace or stove after Sept. 15, 2025, you must register your device and declare that you follow the Best Burning Practices.
These practices include burning only clean, seasoned wood or wood products, maintaining your stove or fireplace and using techniques that reduce smoke. Households outside the boundary need to declare their use of Best Burning Practices but don’t need to register.
It’s important to note that registration doesn’t mean that a fireplace needs to be replaced. Most certified wood-burning devices can be registered and used. However, certain devices like open-hearth fireplaces that are not emissions-certified are not eligible for registration in urban areas unless manufactured firelogs, which have lower emissions, are used, or during emergencies or under low-income exemptions.
For those with older, uncertified appliances, the Community Wood Smoke Reduction Program offers up to $1,500 in incentives to upgrade to cleaner wood-burning models or even to switch to heat pumps.
Register now
Registration takes just a few minutes online and helps the region track where wood-burning devices are in use, so it can better support clean air initiatives and respond to health concerns.
“Registering is pretty quick, user-friendly and there is no fee,” notes Saxton. “The easiest way is through the online system, though there are other ways to do so, including phoning to request paper forms.”
Whether wood burning is a daily or occasional occurrence, now is the time to prepare and everyone has a role to play in protecting community health. Responsible fireplace use helps protect neighbours, families and air quality, while ensuring the comfort of a warm hearth without compromising our health.
Visit www.metrovancouver.org/fireplace to register and learn more before Sept. 15, 2025.
