Greenstone Fire & Emergency Services

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Greenstone Fire & Emergency Services

The Greenstone Fire & Emergency Services, serving the Municipality of Greenstone ON, from fire stations in Beardmore, Geraldton, Longlac, and Nakina.

In the event of a fire emergency please call 911. Do not use this page to report emergencies or request assistance for non-emergency situations. The Greenstone Fire Department is currently staffed by a career full-time Fire Chief and has approximately 80 Volunteer District Chiefs, Officers, and Firefighters in the Four Stations spread throughout the Municipality of Greenstone.

06/06/2026

Is your community organization or school hosting an event offering food? Do we have an opportunity for you!

We have a few very exclusive and fashionable aprons with fire safety messaging available to loan out for events that can be used by your cooking staff/volunteers. We will deliver, pick up, and wash them as a thank you for partnering with us (within Greenstone).

Help deliver fire safety messaging to our residents, and look good doing it!

To borrow these aprons for your event, contact:
[email protected]
807-854-1100 x2007

06/02/2026

Active Forest Fire - Hwy 625 between Hwy 11 and Caramat

We are aware of an active forest fire Southeast of Longlac and Ginoogaming, between Hwy 11 and Caramat. The MNRF is actively actioning this fire.

Smoke is visible from Hwy 625, Hwy 11 East of Longlac near the towers, and East Rd. The affected area is near McKay Lake, Laponen Lake, and Heinrich Lake.

To report any new forest fires, call 911 for fires within the communities, and 310-FIRE(3473) for forest fires outside of the communities.

06/01/2026

Council recently passed By-law 26-20 regarding Animal Control, which includes expanded opportunities for residents to keep hens in coops. Keeping animals on your property can be rewarding, but come with some specific fire risks that should to be accounted for. Below are some tips to make sure your coop/enclosure setup keeps fire safety in mind so your animals can safely produce for you!

- Ensure adequate clearances from your home, garage, deck, bush, and any other flammables in case of a fire.
- Extension cords and power bars are not a substitute for rated permanent wiring. Ensure your power setup is properly rated for all weather environments and for the power draw required.
- Ensure that materials used in construction are not loose or damaged (ex. loose tarps).
- Use heat lamps and heaters with caution. Try to find an alternative as these have elements that can easily ignite bedding material and dust. If you must use them, install only what is required and ensure heat lamps are mounted off the ground, cannot be knocked over, and have adequate clearances. Proper insulation may reduce or eliminate the need for extra heating.
- Routinely check for any compromised elements of the coop or electrical components.
- Keep stored flammables away from ignition sources (ex. hay, propane, gasoline), preferably stored separately.
- Clean the coop removing cobwebs, dust and loose feathers regularly. Accumulations of these are highly combustible.

Note: Larger coops and additions onto an existing building, or conversion of an existing portion of a building to house animals, may require a Building Permit and adherence to the Building Code.

Link to the Animal Control By-law https://greenstone.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/search?keywords=26-20&page=1&preview=96376

Questions?
To reach any Municipal service, call 807-854-1100

Fire department specific inquiries can be directed to extension 2007 or emailed to [email protected]

05/18/2026

Greenstone Fire has seen a significant number of grass/brush fires for our area recently, actioning approximately a dozen this month already. A few days saw multiple back-to-back or simultaneous incidents in different parts of our Municipality and neighboring Indigenous Nation communities.

Many of these were determined to have direct human cause whether trying to clear land, discarding hot/flaming objects, or not following safe burning practices. There are many wildfires already burning throughout Northwestern Ontario, with ground cover such as grass and branches being dry such as in our area.

Please don't be the cause of a forest fire! These avoidable incidents put our communities at risk, and greatly strain local resources often deploying people and equipment away from central and strategic areas for long periods of time. You are responsible for the safe and contained burning of fires you set, and may be liable for any required emergency response or resulting damages.

Use of fire for land clearing is not permitted in Greenstone, though properly piled and controlled vegetation may be eligible for a burn permit with conditions.

Please properly discard of hot or flaming materials.

If there is an incident, report it promptly by calling 9-1-1 for incidents within communities, or 310-FIRE (3473) to reach the MNRF for all other areas.

We thank all of our residents and visitors for their diligence to help prevent future incidents.

About Burn Permits:
The Municipality utilizes the website https://greenstone.burnpermits.com/ to administer open air burning permits. Residential recreational permits are free, and need to be renewed for each calendar year. This system is in place to educate people on how to have as safe of a fire as possible and remain within legislative requirements.
Some key points that form part of your permit:
- No daytime burning, only permitted between 2hrs before sunset to 2hrs after sunrise
- Minimum distance of 10 feet from any combustibles such as structures, objects, forest/vegetation (including wooden, plastic, or textile containing fences, sheds, decks, docks, play structures, etc.)
- Maximum fire size is 1 cubic metre
- Must be confined to a pit, barrel, chimnea, or other containment device
- Must have immediate and adequate means of extinguishing the fire available
- Must not be left unattended
- Must have a means of summoning the fire department if things get out of control (cell or sat phone with service, or landline in vicinity)

05/04/2026

Today is International Firefighters Day and we wanted to give a shoutout to all of our dedicated members across all four stations.

Every day the amazing members of Greenstone Fire remain ready and able to serve people and property within our response area. Thanks for all that you do!

Can you see yourself as part of this team?
We are recruiting for this summer's training intake!

To learn more about becoming a Volunteer (Paid-On-Call) firefighter, visit us at:
greenstone.ca/joinfire

Are you 16 or 17 years old? Join as a Student Cadet:
greenstone.ca/fdstudent

04/30/2026

Greenstone is now into Firefighter Level 2 training. Over the last few weeks, basic automobile extrication was covered.

Crews performed skills such as stabilizing wheel-resting vehicles, glass/door/roof removals, and dash displacements to free trapped occupants in vehicle collisions.

Did you know that all stations in Greenstone are equipped for and perform this service? Our department covers 250km of the Highway 11 corridor and 130km of secondary highways, in addition to hundreds of kilometers of logging and Municipal roadways. Response to vehicle collisions accounts for approximately half of our service's call volume annually.

Get in on the action! Join us as a Student Cadet (16-17) or Firefighter (18+ or done high school). It is not too late to get into this summer's recruit classes!

Student Cadets greenstone.ca/fdstudent
Firefighter greenstone.ca/joinfire

04/22/2026

Spring is Here!

With the change in season comes business' offering items for sale in garden centers or outdoor equipment displays.

Though we are all happy that things are becoming more colorful and there is opportunity for more outdoor activity, these should not create safety issues at your place of business. If you are a business owner or manager, remember that blocking or restricting exits is a Fire Code violation. By adding areas onto an exit, this also adds travel distance that someone trying to leave your building needs to travel.

Some common issues seen are:
- garden centers and displays as an extension of an exit, where the nearest required extinguisher is more than allowable travel distance
- garden centers and displays as an extension of an exit, where no exit is provided, is blocked, a gate is locked, or proper releasing hardware is not present
- displayed items restricting entrance or corridor width to less than allowable limits
- piled or stored pallets of materials near or in front of exits, fire department connections, in and around designated fire access routes
- required Fire Safety Plan does not account for this added area and procedures for supervisory staff
- use of temporary wiring for longer-term periods (weeks/months)
- accumulation of combustibles, and possible vertical storage, in areas without alarm system detection and without sprinkler system present

If you are planning on changing the layout, use, or occupancy of your commercial, institutional or industrial property, being proactive and asking questions will help reduce the likelihood of later issues. Our Prevention Officers work collaboratively with owners and operators to ensure the Fire Code is complied with for the safety of your staff and patrons. If issues are found once these areas are operational, inspection orders may be issued or charges may be brough forward if warranted under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act to correct the issues.

If you are making permanent changes to your property, other departments such as By-law, Building, and Planning may also need to be involved.

Get in touch with us to discuss your project or set-up early, ideally before you start!

To reach any Municipal service, call 807-854-1100

Fire department specific inquiries can be directed to extension 2007 or emailed to [email protected]

*Stock photos from the internet, not real Greenstone locations.

02/24/2026

Putting Training Into Practice

Over the last few months, members of Greenstone Fire have been working away at completing Hazardous Materials Operations training. Not only is this training required for certification but also has practical applications.

GFES responded to an ammonia leak at the Longlac Sportsplex about a week ago. The exhaust from the building was controlled to ensure no risk to the community while crews worked to isolate the system. These types of operations are methodical, controlled, and calculated to ensure the safety of responding crews and the public. Approximately a dozen members from Longlac and Geraldton stations along with Command Staff spent nearly six hours on scene to resolve the incident.

If you want to learn skills like these and be part of the action, visit us at greenstone.ca/joinfire

Are you a youth who is 16 or 17, or will be soon? Join us as a Student Cadet to get in on training at greenstone.ca/fdstudent

Apply by March 31st to be considered for this summer's intake!

01/19/2026

The Wait is Over - Here We Grow!

GFES has been working to revitalize the position of Student Cadet for those who are 16 or 17 years old. Our trial cohort in Nakina started almost a year ago and has been an overwhelming success. We are thrilled to now be expanding the roles to all stations, with anticipated start in the spring/summer!

Student Cadets hold membership positions in the department that end when they turn 18, finish graduation requirements of secondary school, or are otherwise no longer in secondary school.

Student members participate in many of the same aspects as regular members, and train alongside them towards obtaining certifications and credentials. This is meant to give youth an opportunity to explore careers, grow personal accountability, earn some income and boost their resume while gaining valuable skills and experience. By being a member, they are also eligible for co-op placements with the department.

From the department's side, this is intended as a long-term strategy to boost recruitment and retention by engaging early and shifting much of the training to a stage in life when there is the time, energy, and less conflicting priorities to complete it. The conditions of this position also try to encourage youth to stay in school and explore future opportunities available locally. Provided the conditions of membership are met, transitioning to regular member status later is also simplified as they will already have completed the basic training and familiarization required.

As a volunteer based service we realize that by helping address wider problems, we also address our own. Through these positions we strive to provide meaningful experiences and opportunities for professional and personal growth that leads to youth realizing their potential, taking accountability for their own path and staying in or returning to the Greenstone area into adulthood.

For more information on this opportunity and how to apply, visit https://www.greenstone.ca/living-here/fire-and-emergency-services/student-cadet-recruitment/

We encourage local youth who meet the criteria to apply, however positions are limited and competitive. Those turning 16 within 6 months can apply to be considered for future start dates.

01/03/2026

2026 Burn permits are now available!

Log into or create your account at:
https://greenstone.burnpermits.com/

Burn permits are required for any open air burning within the Municipality. Recreational permits for residential properties are free.

Why do I need a permit for my home/camp if it is free?

Permitting helps to:
- educate residents on requirements of the Municipal Open Air Burning Bylaw, and other legislative requirements
- communicate safety practices to reduce fire risk to property and vegetation
- establish respectful burning practices
- reduce the number of burning complaints reported, resulting in fewer fire department responses for enforcement

Those without internet access or email may visit any ward office to have their permit request processed.

Response by the fire department to an unauthorized or non-compliant open air burn can result in a fee charged to the responsible person or property owner.

Non-recreational, Commercial, Special Event and Ceremonial Event permits have other requirements and processes. If you require one of these, please contact us!

Address

1800 Main Street P. O. Box 70
Geraldton, ON
P0T1M0

Telephone

+18078541100

Website

http://www.greenstone.ca/fire

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