A handful of Saskatoon residents told a city committee they want outdoor fire pits banned due to health reasons.

A report presented to the city’s planning, development and community services committee on Monday says outdoor fire pits could be harmful to peoples’ health. The committee is considering imposing stricter conditions on fire pits.

Caswell Hill resident Charlotte Garrett told the committee she’d like to see a ban on outdoor fire pits within city limits and that she’s found ash from nearby fires on her back deck.

“It’s not a nuisance. It’s not a slight allergy, it’s a health issue,” Garrett said.

She told the committee there’s often smoke in the morning while she’s gardening, at noon and in the evening in her backyard. She said she’s forced to go inside or if she stays outside she feels like she has to wear a mask.

“It’s deeply uncomfortable. My eyes burn, my chest hurts,” she said. “It’s unbearable, actually. It’s just unbearable.”

The Lung Association of Saskatchewan was also present during the committee meeting and would like to see a ban on fire pits, but says it's being realistic about the request.

“I’m not sure the public is ready for a zero to 100 kind of change yet," Jennifer May, vice-president of health promotion with the lung association said. "We, as a committee, looked at that and said, 'it’s really the wood smoke that causes a lot of the health issues, so if we can get rid of the wood smoke by using other alternatives, that’s the best thing for the community.'”

In addition to complaints by phone, The Saskatoon Fire Department received 38 written requests last year asking for some form of restriction on fire pits due to health concerns, according to the report.

It says wood smoke has the potential to be harmful especially to young and elderly people, and those heart or respiratory issues including acute bronchitis, asthma or lung disease.

The report says outdoor fire pits are not a concern when it comes to starting uncontrolled fires.

The committee is considering banning outdoor fire pits, prohibiting them to certain days and times, enacting permits or making no changes.

The committee asked the fire department for more information before making a decision on whether to send the options to city council.

--- With files from Caitlin Taylor