Fire Regulations in Allentown, PA (2026)
6 verified fire regulations for Allentown, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pit Rules
The City of Allentown treats a backyard fire pit as a campfire, which requires a permit and a pre-lighting inspection by the Fire Prevention Office. The fire may be in an approved open container or on the ground, must sit at least 25 feet from any structure, and the pile may not exceed 3 feet in diameter or 2 feet in height. Only one burning permit per month per property is allowed and burn time is capped at three hours.
Fire pits need a permit; 25 ft setback, 3 ft max
Heavy RestrictionsCity of Allentown Fire Department, Campfire Permit Regulations (Fire Prevention Code)
The City of Allentown regulations on a specific type of outdoor burning. Campfires require a permit and inspection before lighting. The fire may be in an approved open container or on the ground. A maximum of one (1) burning permit is allowed per month, per property unless authorized by the Fire Chief. Burn time is limited to three (3) hours unless authorized by the Fire Chief. The regulations ...
Fireworks
Pennsylvania's Act 74 of 2022 legalizes consumer fireworks statewide for anyone 18 or older and preempts a total local ban. The City of Allentown's Chapter 291 (Fireworks) restricts use between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., bans discharge within 150 feet of an occupied residential structure, and prohibits fireworks on City-owned property without a special permit from the Fire Marshal.
Consumer fireworks legal, banned 10pm-7am locally
Some RestrictionsPA State Police Fireworks FAQ (Act 74 of 2022, 3 Pa.C.S. Ch. 11); City of Allentown Codified Ord. Ch. 291 (Ord. 15474, 8-15-2018)
Anyone over the age of 18 years can purchase, possess and use consumer fireworks. ... Consumer fireworks cannot be discharged within 150 feet of a building or vehicle regardless if the building or vehicle is owned by the user of the consumer fireworks. ... Consumer fireworks cannot be ignited or discharged on public or private property without express permission of the property owner. ... Consu...
Brush Clearance
Allentown may require property owners to maintain vegetation for fire safety. Pennsylvania does not have a statewide defensible space mandate like western states.
Allentown Brush Clearance & Vegetation Management
Few RestrictionsOutdoor Burning
Allentown lies inside the state-designated 'Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton air basin' (25 Pa. Code 121.1), where 25 Pa. Code 129.14 prohibits open burning of material outright. Narrow exceptions exist for cooking food and for fires set solely for recreational or ceremonial purposes, but burning trash, leaves, and yard waste is unlawful. The City layers its own permit-and-inspection requirements on top of the state ban.
Open burning banned in the Allentown air basin
Heavy Restrictions25 Pa. Code 129.14(a), (c); air basin defined at 25 Pa. Code 121.1
No person may permit the open burning of material in an air basin. ... Attachment A. Air basins of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as delimited in 25 Pa. Code 121.1. ... Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton air basin - The following political subdivisions in Lehigh County: City of Allentown, City of Bethlehem, Catasauqua Borough, Coplay Borough, Emmaus Borough, Fountain Hill Borough, Hanover Township,...
Wildfire Zones
Allentown may have wildfire hazard zones requiring defensible space around structures, fire-resistant building materials, and vegetation management.
Allentown Wildfire Zone & Defensible Space Rules
Some RestrictionsBackyard Fires
A backyard recreational fire in Allentown counts as a 'campfire' and requires a permit and pre-lighting inspection from the Fire Prevention Office. The fire must be at least 25 feet from any structure, kept to campfire size (3 ft diameter, 2 ft height max), limited to one permit per month per property and three hours of burn time, and constantly attended until fully extinguished.
Backyard fires need a campfire permit + inspection
Heavy RestrictionsCity of Allentown Fire Department, Campfire Permit Regulations (Fire Prevention Code)
Campfires require a permit and inspection before lighting. The fire may be in an approved open container or on the ground. ... 1. Location of fire to be a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from any structure. 2. Campfires must be kept to campfire-type size. Per code the maximum pile diameter shall be three (3) feet and the maximum pile height shall be two (2) feet. ... 5. The person who has auth...
Looking for Lehigh County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Allentown city rules.
Fire Regulations in Lehigh County →