5 rules for unincorporated St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
Backyard recreational fires are legal year-round across St. Joseph County under IDEM rule 326 IAC 4-1-3, which allows burning only clean wood, paper, charcoal, and clean petroleum products in a single pile under 1,000 cubic feet.
326 IAC 4-1-3
Only the following may be burned: (i) Clean wood products. (ii) Paper. (iii) Charcoal. (iv) Clean petroleum products.
Consumer fireworks are legal for adults across St. Joseph County, and under Indiana Code 22-11-14-10.5 no county or city ordinance may ban their use on the days around July 4 or on New Year's, or before 11 p.m. on ordinary days.
Ind. Code § 22-11-14-10.5
An ordinance adopted under this section: (1) may limit the use of consumer fireworks in the county or municipality; (2) may not be more lenient than a rule adopted by a state agency concerning the use of fireworks; and (3) may not limit the use of consumer fireworks: (A) between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and two (2) hours after sunset on June 29, June 30, July 1, July 2, July 3, July 5, July 6, Ju...
St. Joseph County has no defensible-space or brush-clearance ordinance; northern Indiana's humid climate and heavy lake-effect snow keep wildfire risk low, so clearing vegetation around a home is left to the owner.
Open burning of trash is banned throughout St. Joseph County under IDEM rule 326 IAC 4-1; only clean-wood recreational fires and limited vegetative burning are exempt, in one pile under 1,000 cubic feet, kept attended.
326 IAC 4-1-3
The pile to be burned shall be less than or equal to one thousand (1,000) cubic feet and only one (1) pile may be burned at a time.
Indiana designates no regulatory wildfire hazard zones in St. Joseph County and applies no wildland-urban-interface building code; the humid northern-Indiana climate and heavy lake-effect snow keep wildfire risk low.
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