Fire Regulations in Chesterfield County, VA (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Chesterfield County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Chesterfield exempts campfires, ceremonial fires and other blazes used solely for recreational purposes from its open-burning permit requirement under Fire Prevention Code Sec. 307.2.1(B). No permit or fee applies, but every fire must stay constantly attended with extinguishing equipment on hand, and the fire marshal can shut down all burning, exemption included, when conditions turn hazardous.
Chesterfield County Recreational Fire Rules
Light RestrictionsChesterfield County Code § 10-3 (Fire Prevention Code § 307.2.1(B), 307.2(G),(I))
The following activities are exempted from the above prohibitions to the extent covered by the State Air Pollution Control Board's Regulations for the Control and Abatement of Air Pollution: ... B.Open burning for camp fires or other fires that are used solely for recreational purposes, for ceremonial occasions, for outdoor noncommercial preparation of food, and for warming of outdoor workers; ...
Fireworks
Chesterfield bans consumer fireworks outright: Fire Prevention Code Sec. 5601.1.3.1 says permissible fireworks 'shall not be possessed, stored, sold, used or handled' anywhere in the county. The only lawful use is a supervised public display approved under a fire-official permit, applied for in writing at least 15 days before the event.
Chesterfield County Fireworks Ban and Permits
Heavy RestrictionsChesterfield County Code § 10-3 (Fire Prevention Code §§ 5601.1.3.1, 5601.2.2.1, 5608.2)
5601.1.3.1 Fireworks Prohibited. Add subsection 5601.1.3.1 as follows: Permissible fireworks, as defined in the Statewide Fire Prevention Code, shall not be possessed, stored, sold, used or handled in Chesterfield County. ... 5601.2.2.1 Violations. Add subsection 5601.2.2.1 as follows: No person shall store, possess, offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail or use or explode any firework...
Outdoor Burning
Chesterfield bans open burning outright for six months a year and requires a fire-division permit the rest of the time. County Code § 10-3 adopts the county's own Ordinance for the Regulation of Open Burning, prohibiting household trash, tire, and hazardous-waste burns entirely and shutting down all open burning from May through September.
Chesterfield County Open Burning Regulations
Significant RestrictionsChesterfield County, VA, Code of Ordinances § 10-3 (Fire Prevention Code §§ 307.1-307.2.5)
This article shall be known as the Chesterfield County Ordinance for the Regulation of Open Burning... No owner or other person shall cause or permit open burning or the use of a special incineration device for disposal of refuse except as provided in this ordinance. No owner or other person shall cause or permit open burning or the use of a special incineration device for disposal of household...
Smoke Detectors
Chesterfield requires working smoke alarms in every rented dwelling unit, hotel or motel room, and rooming house, authority the state grants in Va. Code § 15.2-922. Landlords must certify annually that alarms are present and working, hotels must test alarms daily, tenants handle interim testing, and violations are a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Chesterfield County Smoke Alarm Requirements
Some RestrictionsChesterfield County Code §§ 10-21, 10-32, 10-33
Sec. 10-21. - Required. Pursuant to the authority set forth in Code of Virginia, § 15.2-922, smoke alarms shall be installed in (i) buildings containing one or more dwelling units which are rented or leased; (ii) hotel or motel rooms and (iii) rooming houses used to provide overnight sleeping accommodations. ... Sec. 10-33. - Enforcement and penalties. The chief of the fire and EMS department a...
Propane Storage
Chesterfield's Fire Prevention Code amendments require every liquefied-petroleum-gas container to sit in a secured enclosure anchored to a sidewalk, pad or building so it can't tip or be tampered with, marked with the supplier's name, a 24-hour phone number and 'NO SMOKING' signs, plus vehicle protection wherever the fire official requires it.
Chesterfield County LP-Gas Container Rules
Some RestrictionsChesterfield County Code § 10-3 (Fire Prevention Code §§ 6101.4, 6109.13)
6101.4 Emergency Services. Add subsection 6101.4 as follows: Anyone who supplies liquefied petroleum gas service shall have a qualified maintenance person available at all times to assist fire department personnel with emergency incidents involving the service. ... 6109.13 Protection of Containers. Delete and substitute section 6109.13 as follows: Containers shall be placed in a suitable enclos...
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