According to the Wildfire Statistics from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), from 2018 to 2022, 89% of the average number of wildfires were human-caused. With this in mind, we can ask ourselves:
Are open fires legal in the United States?
If so, what are open fire and fire pit regulations?
But first, let’s answer an important question:
What is defined as an open fire?
Most agree that open burning can be described as a fire in which material(s) are burned in an open, outdoor area or in a container that does not have a chimney.
Small fires for recreational purposes, such as cooking, backyard fire pits, camping fire rings, etc., may or may not fall under “open burning” laws.
Regardless of where you live, any fire will be forbidden during dangerously dry weather.
- Are open fires legal in the United States?
- Is open fire cooking legal in the USA?
- Best practices for open fires and fire pits
Regulations by State:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Are Open Fires Legal in the United States?
Open burning is a complicated issue. Each state has requirements, and each local township, village, city, and county will likely have additional regulations. There may be certain times of the year when open burning is allowed. During dry periods, there will be mandates from authorities of local jurisdiction against any outdoor fire.
You will see this disclaimer a couple of times as you read through this information:
Always check with local officials regarding open burning laws where you live. If you’re unsure whom to call, start with local law enforcement and your local fire department.
Depending on the time of the year, exemptions for larger scale open fires for agriculture, recreational or ceremonial purposes might be granted by local authorities. Some states may allow residential households to burn small amounts of dry household waste, including items that cannot be recycled.
Local ordinances often override this, even for clean, untreated wood and small quantities of dry leaves and plant clippings. Be prudent and check ahead of time to avoid a hefty fine. You must check with local officials to see if open burning is allowed and a burning permit is required. Never use an open burn pit when there’s an emergency burning restriction issued or when there’s been an air quality alert given for your area.
Is Open Fire Cooking Legal in the USA?
In the United States, when open fires are authorized, you can also use them as cooking fires. Just make sure you use dry, seasoned wood to get a clean-burning, hot fire.
Best Practices for Open Fires and Fire Pits
When burning, be responsible!
- Check if burning is allowed
- If it’s windy, do not have a fire
- Keep a 10 feet clearance around and above your fire site
- Use a fire pit or approved outdoor fireplace when possible
- If no site exists, build on bare rock, soil or sand and scrape the ground down to bare soil in a 3ft radius
- Keep a shovel and a pail of water or a water hose nearby
- Never leave your fire unattended
- When you’re done, pour plenty of water on the fire, stir and repeat until the ash is cool to the touch
Property owners are wise to take reasonable care to try and minimize the amount of smoke, ash and debris generated by any fire. Be thoughtful toward your neighbors and keep in mind the prevailing winds and the direction smoke will travel.
Every state prohibits burning household trash, tires, waste petroleum products, roofing and construction materials, hazardous waste products, and their containers.
State by state, here’s a list of departments, websites, office addresses, contacts and phone numbers to find additional information about the open burning laws in your state. Keep in mind that your local ordinances are often stricter than your state requirements. A good place to start for basic information is at the individual state level.
Alabama
Forestry Commission
513 Madison Avenue
P.O. Box #302550
Montgomery, AL 36130-2550
(334) 240-9300
Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation
P. O. Box #111800
410 Willoughby Avenue
Juneau, AK 99811
(907) 269-8463
(800) 237-3633
Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality
1110 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
(602) 771-2300
Email: airpermits@azdeq.gov
Website: https://azdeq.gov/node/310
Arkansas
Office of Energy & Environment
5301 Northshore Drive
Little Rock, AR 72118-5317
(501) 682-0744
(888) 233-0326
California
Air Resources Board
1001 I Street
P. O. Box #2815
Sacramento, CA 95812
(800) 242-4450
Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive, South
Denver, CO 80246
(303) 692-3100
Connecticut
Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
Bureau of Air Management
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT 06106-5127
(860) 424-4152
Delaware
Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control
100 West Water Street, Suite 6A
Dover, DE 19904
(302) 739-9402
Florida
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000
(850) 245-2118
Georgia
Environmental Protection Division
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SE
Suite 1456, East Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 362-2537
(404) 363-7000
Hawaii
Department of Health
Kinau Hale
1250 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
808-586-4400
Idaho
Department of Environmental Quality
1410 North Hilton Street
Boise, ID 83706
(208) 373-0502
(866) 790-4337
Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency
1021 North Grand Avenue, East
P.O. Box #19276
Springfield, IL 62794-9276
(217) 782-3397
Indiana
Department of Environmental Management
Indiana Government Center North
100 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251
(317) 232-8603
(800) 451-6027
Email: info@idem.IN.gov
Website: https://www.in.gov/idem/
Iowa
Department of Natural Resources
Wallace State Office Building
502 East 9th Street, 4th Floor
Des Moines, IA 50319-0034
(515) 725-8200
Kansas
Kansas Department of Health & Environment
Division of Environment
1000 SW Jackson, Suite #400
Topeka, KS 66612
(785) 296-1551
Kentucky
Department of Environmental Protection
300 Sower Blvd
Frankfort, KY 40601
(502) 564-6120
Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality
602 North Fifth Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 219-5337
(866) 896-5337
Maine
Department of Environmental Protection
17 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 287-7688
(800) 452-1942
Maryland
Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD 21401
(877) 620-8367
(410) 260-8367
Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection
1 State Road
Stow, MA 01775
(978) 567-3375
Michigan
Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy
Constitution Hall
525 West Allegan Street
P.O. Box #30473
Lansing, MI 48909-7973
(517) 284-6700
(800) 662-9278
Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources
500 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-6157
(888) 646-6367
Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality
700 North State Street
P. O. Box #2261
Jackson, MS 39225
(601) 961-5171
(888) 786-0661
Missouri
Department of Public Safety
Division of Fire Safety
205 Jefferson Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101-4421
(573) 751-2930
Montana
Department of Environmental Quality
1520 East 6th Avenue
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 444-3490
(406) 444-1452
(406) 444-2544
Nebraska
State Fire Marshal Agency
246 South 14th Street, Suite #1
Lincoln, NE 68508-1804
(402) 471-2027
(402) 471-9478
Nevada
Division of Environmental Protection
901 South Stewart Street, Suite #4001
Carson City, NV 89701
(775) 687-4670
- or -
375 East Warm Springs Road, Suite #200
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 668-3900
New Hampshire
Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
Division of Forests & Lands
172 Pembroke Road
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 271-2214
New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection
401 East State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625
(866) 337-5669
(609) 777-3373
(609) 292-2977
New Mexico
Environment Department
Harold L. Runnels Building
1190 St. Francis Drive, Suite #N4050
Santa Fe, NM 87505
(505) 827-2855
(800) 219-6157
New York
Department of Environmental Conservation
Office of Communication Services
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233-4500
(518) 402-8044
Email: contact@dec.ny.gov
North Carolina
Environmental Quality
217 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
(877) 623-6748
North Dakota
Department of Environmental Quality
4201 Normandy Street
Bismarck, ND 58503-1324
(701) 328-5150
Email: deq@nd.gov
Ohio
Department of Natural Resources
2045 Morse Road, Building H1
Columbus, OH 43229
(877) 247-8733
(614) 265-6694
Oklahoma
Environmental Quality
707 North Robinson
P. O. Box #1677
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
(405) 702-0100
(800) 522-0206
Oregon
Department of Environmental Quality
700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite #600
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 229-5696
Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection
Regional Permit Coordination Office
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 772-5987
Rhode Island
Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-4700
Email: https://dem.ri.gov/contact-us
Website: http://www.dem.ri.gov/
South Carolina
Department of Health & Environmental Control
Bureau of Air Quality
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 898-4123
Website:
https://scdhec.gov/environment/your-air/open-burning-is-it-legal
SC Forestry Commission
(803) 896-8800
Email:
scfc@scfc.gov
South Dakota
Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources
523 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-3183
(605) 773-5559
Tennessee
Department of Environment & Conservation
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, TN 37243
(888) 891-8332
Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality
P.O. Box #13087
12100 Park 35 Circle
Austin, TX 78753
(800) 447-2827
Utah
Department of Environmental Quality
195 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84114
(801) 536-4400
(801) 536-4000
Vermont
Department of Environmental Conservation
One National Life Drive
Montpelier, WT 05620-3802
(802) 828-1288
Virginia
Department of Forestry
900 Natural Resources Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 977-6555
Washington
Department of Natural Resources
Natural Resources Building MS 47000
1111 Washington Street, SE
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 902-1000
(800) 323-2876
Email: rpd@dnr.wa.gov
Website: https://burnportal.dnr.wa.gov/
West Virginia
Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Air Quality
601 57th Street, SE
Charleston, WV 25304
(304) 926-0440
(304) 926-0475
Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources
101 South Webster Street
P. O. Box #7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
(888) 936-7463
(608) 577-3643
Wyoming
Department of Environmental Quality
200 West 17th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7937
Be Fire Smart!
Don’t forget: Always check with local officials regarding open burning laws where you live. If you’re not sure who to call, start with local law enforcement and/or your local fire department.
When fire restrictions are in place, going against them could result in wildfires, property and life loss, heavy fines and prison time.
Be vigilant when planning a fire to make sure you’re following local regulations.
Help preserve our forests.
Burn responsibly!