Open Fire Regulations in the U.S.A.

By State

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.

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.

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

Alaska

Alaska
Alaska

Department of Environmental Conservation
P. O. Box #111800
410 Willoughby Avenue
Juneau, AK  99811

(907) 269-8463
(800) 237-3633

Arizona

Arizona
Arizona

Department of Environmental Quality
1110 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ  85007

(602) 771-2300

Arkansas

Arkansas
Arkansas

Office of Energy & Environment
5301 Northshore Drive
Little Rock, AR  72118-5317

(501) 682-0744
(888) 233-0326

California

California
California

Air Resources Board
1001 I Street
P. O. Box #2815
Sacramento, CA  95812

(800) 242-4450

Colorado

Colorado
Colorado

Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive, South
Denver, CO  80246

(303) 692-3100

Connecticut

Connecticut
Connecticut

Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
Bureau of Air Management
79 Elm Street
Hartford, CT  06106-5127

(860) 424-4152

Delaware

Delaware
Delaware

Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control
100 West Water Street, Suite 6A
Dover, DE  19904

(302) 739-9402

Florida

Florida
Florida

Georgia

Georgia
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

Hawaii
Hawaii

Department of Health
Kinau Hale
1250 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, Hawaii  96813

808-586-4400

Idaho

Idaho
Idaho

Department of Environmental Quality
1410 North Hilton Street
Boise, ID  83706

(208) 373-0502
(866) 790-4337

Illinois

Illinois
Illinois

Environmental Protection Agency
1021 North Grand Avenue, East
P.O. Box #19276
Springfield, IL  62794-9276

(217) 782-3397

Indiana

Indiana
Indiana

Department of Environmental Management
Indiana Government Center North
100 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, IN  46204-2251

(317) 232-8603
(800) 451-6027

Iowa

Iowa
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
Kansas

Kansas Department of Health & Environment
Division of Environment
1000 SW Jackson, Suite #400
Topeka, KS  66612

(785) 296-1551

Kentucky

Kentucky
Kentucky

Louisiana

Louisiana
Louisiana

Department of Environmental Quality
602 North Fifth Street
Baton Rouge, LA  70802

(225) 219-5337
(866) 896-5337

Maine

Maine
Maine

Department of Environmental Protection
17 State House Station
Augusta, ME  04333

(207) 287-7688
(800) 452-1942

Maryland

Maryland
Maryland

Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, MD  21401

(877) 620-8367
(410) 260-8367

Massachusetts

Massachusetts
Massachusetts

Michigan

Michigan
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

Minnesota
Minnesota

Department of Natural Resources
500 Lafayette Road
Saint Paul, MN  55155

(651) 296-6157
(888) 646-6367

Mississippi

Mississippi
Mississippi

Department of Environmental Quality
700 North State Street
P. O. Box #2261
Jackson, MS  39225

(601) 961-5171
(888) 786-0661

Missouri

Missouri
Missouri

Department of Public Safety
Division of Fire Safety
205 Jefferson Street
Jefferson City, MO  65101-4421

(573) 751-2930

Montana

Montana
Montana

Department of Environmental Quality
1520 East 6th Avenue
Helena, MT  59601

(406) 444-3490
(406) 444-1452
(406) 444-2544

Nebraska

Nebraska
Nebraska

State Fire Marshal Agency
246 South 14th Street, Suite #1
Lincoln, NE  68508-1804

(402) 471-2027
(402) 471-9478

Nevada

Nevada
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

New Hampshire
New Hampshire

Department of Natural & Cultural Resources
Division of Forests & Lands
172 Pembroke Road
Concord, NH  03301

(603) 271-2214

New Jersey

New Jersey
New Jersey

Department of Environmental Protection
401 East State Street
Trenton, NJ  08625

(866) 337-5669
(609) 777-3373
(609) 292-2977

New Mexico

New Mexico
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

New York
New York

Department of Environmental Conservation
Office of Communication Services
625 Broadway
Albany, NY  12233-4500

(518) 402-8044

North Carolina

North Dakota

North Dakota
North Dakota

Department of Environmental Quality
4201 Normandy Street
Bismarck, ND  58503-1324

(701) 328-5150

Ohio

Ohio
Ohio

Department of Natural Resources
2045 Morse Road, Building H1
Columbus, OH  43229

(877) 247-8733
(614) 265-6694

Oklahoma

Oklahoma
Oklahoma

Environmental Quality
707 North Robinson
P. O. Box #1677
Oklahoma City, OK  73102

(405) 702-0100
(800) 522-0206

Oregon

Oregon
Oregon

Department of Environmental Quality
700 NE Multnomah Street, Suite #600
Portland, OR  97232

(503) 229-5696

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania

Department of Environmental Protection
Regional Permit Coordination Office
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, PA  17101

(717) 772-5987

Rhode Island

Rhode Island
Rhode Island

Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI  02908

(401) 222-4700

South Carolina

South Carolina
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

South Dakota
South Dakota

Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources
523 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD  57501-3183

(605) 773-5559

Tennessee

Tennessee
Tennessee

Department of Environment & Conservation
312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, TN  37243

(888) 891-8332

Texas

Texas
Texas

Commission on Environmental Quality
P.O. Box #13087
12100 Park 35 Circle
Austin, TX  78753

(800) 447-2827

Utah

Utah
Utah

Department of Environmental Quality
195 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, UT  84114

(801) 536-4400
(801) 536-4000

Vermont

Vermont
Vermont

Department of Environmental Conservation
One National Life Drive
Montpelier, WT  05620-3802

(802) 828-1288

Virginia

Virginia
Virginia

Department of Forestry
900 Natural Resources Drive
Charlottesville, VA  22903

(434) 977-6555

Washington

Washington
Washington

Department of Natural Resources
Natural Resources Building MS 47000
1111 Washington Street, SE
Olympia, WA  98504

(360) 902-1000
(800) 323-2876

West Virginia

West Virginia
West Virginia

Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Air Quality
601 57th Street, SE
Charleston, WV  25304

(304) 926-0440
(304) 926-0475

Wisconsin

Wisconsin
Wisconsin

Department of Natural Resources
101 South Webster Street
P. O. Box #7921
Madison, WI  53707-7921

(888) 936-7463
(608) 577-3643

Wyoming

Wyoming
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!