Ohio open burning restrictions still in effect through May
MEIGS COUNTY, Ohio – While damp weather may make burning seem safe, the open burning ban is still effect until May.
Ohio’s wildfire seasons occur primarily in the spring (March, April and May) before vegetation has “greened-up” and the fall (October and November) when leaf drop occurs. During these times and especially when weather conditions are warm, windy and with low humidity, cured vegetation is particularly susceptible to burning. Fuel (vegetation, woody debris), weather (wind, temperature, humidity) and topography (hills and valleys) can combine to present an extreme danger to unwary civilians and firefighters in the path of a wildfire.
According to the Ohio Revised Code 1503.18 Ohio DNR Forestry prohibits outdoor open burning and prescribed fires in the months of March, April, May, October, and November between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. This ban includes burning of yard waste, trash, and debris, even in a proper burn barrel.
Even outside the time and date restrictions, any person conducting a burn must obtain landowner permission, remain with the fire while it is burning, and take all reasonable precautions to prevent the fire from escaping.
Contact Ohio Division of Forestry 1-877-247-8733.
Ohio Administrative Code 3745.19 is enforced by the Ohio EPA. Notification is required for many types of open burns in Ohio.
NEVER to be burned at any time or any place in Ohio:
- Food waste
- Dead animals
- Materials containing rubber, grease, asphalt, or made from petroleum
- Other Restrictions: Fires must be more than 1000 feet from neighbor’s inhabited building
- No burning when air pollution alert, warning, or emergency is in effect
- Fire/smoke cannot obscure visibility on roadway, railways, or airfields
- No waste generated off the premises may be burned
- No burning within village or city limits or restricted areas
Contact Ohio EPA: (614) 644-2270 or Ohio EPA Open Burning.
