Manitoba Crop Residue Burning Program

Smoke from burning crop residues affects people's health, road safety and the environment.

Manitoba's smoke management plan encompasses activities and systems to lead to a significant ongoing reduction in crop residue burning.

If you must burn, you must adhere to Manitoba's Controlled Burning program by checking the daily burning authorization

• Download Brochure (pdf)

Daily Crop Residue Burning Authorizations English or French 1-800-265-1233 toll-free Note: Daily authorizations are made by 11:00 am.

Permits are being issued for producers who need to safely burn within municipalities that are NOT authorized for burning. For more information about obtaining a burning permit, please contact your nearest MAFRI GO Teams office or centre. Completed permit application forms may be faxed to 204-745-5690.

Download Application for Permit to Burn Crop Residue (PDF format)

When a municipality is authorized for burning, burning permits are not required unless the land located within the boundaries of the City of Winnipeg or within a Burning Permit Area . Any permits issued by other local authorities are also required.

The regulation entitled Burning of Crop Residue and Non-Crop Herbage (Regulation 77/93) was enacted in 1993 to deal with the legal aspects of crop residue burning.

The Regulation

• Prohibits night burning of crop residues and non-crop plant material in yards, rights-of-way, ditches, native pastures and waste areas all year round.
• Places additional restrictions on daytime burning of crop residue from August 1 through November 15 by permitting burning only in authorized municipalities during certain hours.
• Provides information via a toll-free phone line and an internet webpage each day from August 1 to November 15 to advise individuals about whether burning is authorized in their municipality on that day and, if so, during which hours. See the entire Burning of Crop Residue and Non-Crop Herbage Regulation (PDF).
• If burning is authorized, the final decision to light the fire is up to you, so use common sense:

Burn only within the hours specified in the daily authorization.

• Ensure fires are supervised at all times.
• Ensure the area has been adequately fire guarded to prevent the spread of fires.
• Ensure smoke will not create an unreasonable hazard to people's health or highway safety.

For more information

For more information about the Manitoba Crop Residue Burning Program, please contact Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Crops Knowledge Centre. Phone: 204-745-5630. To report illegal burning, please contact Conservation and Water Stewardship. To report hazardous driving conditions caused by smoke from crop residue burning, please notify the RCMP or your local Municipal Police.