Howard County, MD Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

106, part of the county's Fire Prevention Code under Title 17, gives the Fire Official authority to declare certain flammable materials a public nuisance whenever they create or tend to create a fire hazard endangering life or property, or interfere with emergency operations or endanger fire service personnel. The list reaches beyond ordinary rubbish and trash to specifically name dry brush, noxious weeds, or grass exceeding 12 inches in height, along with wood chips or hogged material and other flammable debris. The section carves out one significant exception: it does not apply to weeds, brush, and grass on land actively devoted to agricultural or conservation uses, so working farms and preserved open space are not subject to the 12-inch threshold.

Once the Fire Official determines a nuisance exists on a lot, the Director of Fire and Rescue Services must send the property owner a notice by registered or certified mail requiring abatement within ten days, and warning that the county may abate the condition itself, at the owner's expense, if the deadline passes. An owner who cannot meet the ten-day deadline may request an extension, which the Fire Official can grant for up to 90 additional days if the owner states the reasons in writing.

00, imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both, and the violation is separately classified as a Class C civil offense enforceable by the Department of Fire and Rescue Services under Title 24 of the County Code. The Fire Official can also go to court to force compliance or to get a judge's order permitting county crews onto the property to clear the hazard and bill the owner.