Allegheny County, PA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Any volume of clean wood being burned shall be no larger than three feet wide by three feet long by two feet high and shall be at least 15 feet from the nearest neighbor's dwelling or inhabited area, any property line, roadway, sidewalk, or public accessway. [3] Open burning using chimineas, firepits, or outdoor fireplaces may only be conducted using materials meeting Subsection A(1)(a)[1] above.

(b) Any open burning shall be tended by a responsible person at all times.

(c) Wood burning activities shall not be conducted on Air Quality Action Days, with the exception of conducting such burning for the commercial preparation of food.

(d) The Department may prohibit, or reduce, any open burning activity which it determines to be a nuisance. This determination will be based on, but not limited to, the following criteria: [1] The severity of the amount of air pollutants, or malodorous material; [2] The duration or frequency of open burning; [3] The topography of the surroundings; and/or [4] The meteorological conditions.

(e) This section shall not allow or permit any open burning which would not otherwise be allowed or permitted under any applicable ordinance or fire code.

(2) Discovery of fire. Immediately upon the discovery of any open burning that is not being conducted in accordance with this section, the person responsible for the property on which such burning occurs shall immediately extinguish, or cause the extinguishment of, such burning.