Before burning brush, grass, or debris, Henrico requires you to cut and pile it or clear the ground around it and control the fire until fully out. For a recreational fire, all combustibles within 25 feet of a structure must be removed first.
Section 11-18 makes it unlawful to burn brush, grass, leaves, or debris unless you have cut and piled the material, or carefully cleared around it, or taken other precautions to prevent fire spread, and control the fire until it is completely burned out. For recreational fires, the Fire Marshal requires that all unsafe combustible material and vegetation within 25 feet of a structure be eliminated before ignition. Henrico imposes no California-style standing defensible-space mandate; the clearance duties attach to the act of burning, plus § 11-19 drought bans.
Failing to clear or control a burn is unlawful under § 11-18; during a declared drought all open fires are banned under § 11-19. Enforced by the fire chief.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Henrico County, VA
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See how Henrico County's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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