Open Burn Rules

Open Burn Rules

The City of West Carrollton receives numerous requests for information on open burning. Our most common question is about the requirements to have a recreational fire within the City limits. Under Ohio law, we observe the following rules and regulations for recreational fires:

• The only material that can be burned is clean dry wood as the fuel
• No yard waste (grass, tree limbs, leaves etc.), garbage, furniture, construction waste, tires, plastics or plastic coated wire is allowed
• The fire must not be objectionable to neighbors or nearby residents
• The fire size cannot be larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height
• The fire must be at least 25 feet from a structure or combustible material
• The fire must be attended while burning
• There must be a means to extinguish fire close by such as a garden hose, fire extinguisher, or a bucket of sand or dirt
• Portable outdoor fireplaces shall be used in accordance with the manufactures instructions
• No permit is required for recreational fires

The most common complaint from neighbors is when recreational fires are not conducted in accordance with the requirements, or the atmospheric conditions cause the smoke to travel throughout the neighborhood creating an objectionable or hazardous situation. In these instances, the fire department will ask you to extinguish the fire even though your fire is within the requirements

Other types of open burning such as bonfires and agricultural management practices need a permit and prior approval from the West Carrollton Fire Department, Regional Air Pollution Control Agency, or the State of Ohio EPA.