Florida law expressly allows recreational and ceremonial backyard fires of vegetative debris and untreated wood, but the fire must be attended at all times and fully smothered (no visible flame, smoke, or emissions) before it is left unattended. Marion County Code Sec. 8-35 likewise allows recreational and ceremonial fires.
Recreational open burning is governed statewide by Fla. Admin. Code 5I-2.006(11), adopted by the Florida Forest Service under Fla. Stat. 590.125. It permits open burning of vegetative debris and untreated wood in a campfire, outdoor fireplace, recreational or ceremonial bonfire, or other contained heating/cooking device. The rule requires the fire to be attended at all times and completely smothered with no visible flame, smoke, or emissions before the area is left unattended, and the responsible person must comply with any applicable FFS open burning rules. Marion County Code Sec. 8-35 separately lists campfires, outdoor fireplaces, and recreational or ceremonial fires among the open burning that is allowed in unincorporated Marion County, provided no trash or paper products are burned and the fire does not create a nuisance (MCFR has final say). During declared burn bans, MCFR may suspend recreational burning countywide.
Leaving a recreational fire unattended or failing to extinguish it is an open-burning violation; an escaped fire exposes the responsible person to suppression-cost recovery and second-degree-misdemeanor liability under Fla. Stat. 590.125(2)(d). County nuisance/burn violations are enforced by MCFR.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Marion County, FL
Motor vehicles on a public right-of-way are exempt from the county ordinance (Sec. 13-11(7)) and are instead governed by Florida Statutes 316.293, which sets...
Marion County, FL
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Marion County, FL
Marion County's animal code makes an owner responsible for preventing a domestic animal from creating a noise nuisance: barking, whining or howling that can ...
Marion County, FL
Construction work under a county development permit is exempt from the noise limits only when it occurs between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Outside that window,...
Marion County, FL
Marion County prohibits playing any radio, stereo, sound amplifier, or musical instrument so that it is plainly audible past the source property line at dist...
Marion County, FL
Unincorporated Marion County sets time-averaged decibel limits that drop at night: residential areas fall from 65 dB(A) (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) to 55 dB(A) (10 p.m....
See how Marion County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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