8 rules for unincorporated Howard County, Maryland.
Verified from official government sources
Manufactured fire pits, chimineas and luminaries must have spark arrestors, keep the fire area under 3 feet in diameter, and sit at least 15 feet from any building or structure. They may not be used on balconies or under overhangs.
Howard County Fire Prevention Code Title 17 §104; County Code Title 12 §108
Manufactured chimineas, luminaries, fire pits, and similar devices shall be equipped with spark arrestors and the fire area shall not exceed 3 ft. in diameter.
Maryland is restrictive. In Howard County the sale, possession and use of ground-based sparklers is prohibited; only party poppers, snakes, snap 'n pops and handheld sparklers are legal. All aerial and audible fireworks are illegal without a state display permit.
Howard County Fire & Rescue; MD Public Safety §10-101
In Howard County, the sale, possession, and residential use of ground-based sparklers is prohibited. Devices known as party poppers, ignitable snakes, snap 'n pops, and handheld sparklers are legal in the county.
Howard County, in humid central Maryland, has no California-style defensible-space or brush-clearance mandate. You may clear vegetation, but you cannot burn the cleared leaves or brush without a permit. Forest clearing may trigger the Maryland Forest Conservation Act.
Howard County Fire Prevention Code Title 17 §104; County Code Title 12 §108
The burning of leaves, brush, trash, yard waste, refuse, and building materials is not permitted.
Howard County prohibits non-permitted open fires except recreational, heating and cooking fires. Burning leaves, brush, trash, yard waste, refuse and building materials is not permitted. Land-clearing and agricultural burns need a permit and are only allowed October 1 through May 31.
Howard County Fire Prevention Code Title 17 §104; County Code Title 12 §108
Howard County law prohibits non-permitted open fires except recreational, heating, and cooking fires... The burning of leaves, brush, trash, yard waste, refuse, and building materials is not permitted.
Howard County has no mapped wildfire-hazard or wildland-urban-interface zones. Humid central Maryland is not a wildfire-risk region. The practical fire rule is a temporary open-fire ban: no burning when officials declare one due to drought or dry conditions.
Howard County Fire Prevention Code Title 17 §104; County Code Title 12 §108
The fire may not be ignited or shall be extinguished... If a state or local public official or fire official declares a ban on open fires because of a drought, dry conditions, other atmospheric conditions, or general fire safety.
Maryland law requires smoke alarms on every level of a home, including basements, and in each sleeping area. Battery-only alarms must be sealed, tamper-resistant, 10-year long-life units with a hush button. Alarms over 10 years old must be replaced.
MD Public Safety §9-104
Only sealed, tamper resistant units incorporating a silence/hush button and using long-life batteries may be used... upgraded... when the existing smoke alarms exceed 10 years from the date of manufacture.
Recreational, heating and cooking fires are allowed. Fires over 3 to 5 feet must sit at least 50 feet from any structure, cannot exceed 5 by 5 feet, keep a 10-foot safe area, be constantly attended, and burn only seasoned dry firewood. Call 410-313-2200 before lighting.
Howard County Fire Prevention Code Title 17 §104; County Code Title 12 §108
The fire shall be located at a minimum distance of 50 feet from any structure. The fire shall not be more than 5 ft. x 5 ft. in dimension. A safe area of at least 10 feet will be maintained around the fire.
Residential propane storage follows the International Fire Code, adopted by Howard County through Fire Prevention Code Title 17, Section 104. The county's published rule keeps gas-fired grills and propane appliances at least 15 feet from buildings and off balconies and overhangs.
Howard County Fire Prevention Code Title 17 §104 (International Fire Code)
Grills, hibachis, gas-fired grills, chimineas, luminaries, fire pits, or other similar devices... shall not be used or kindled on a balcony, under an overhanging portion of a building or structure, or within 15 feet of a building or structure.
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