Fire pit rules in Kanawha County, WV — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Backyard fire pits are legal across Kanawha County with no county permit, but during West Virginia's spring and fall forest-fire seasons even a small warming or cooking fire must sit inside a 10-foot cleared ring and stay attended.
A backyard fire pit needs no county permit in Kanawha County. West Virginia Code §20-3-5 designates March 1 through May 31 and October 1 through December 31 as forest-fire seasons, and during those months an outdoor fire is confined to the hours between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. A small fire for cooking or warmth is exempt from the hour limit only if all grass, brush, and debris is cleared for 10 feet around it and someone stays with it. Burn clean, dry wood, never trash. On the steep wooded hillsides above Charleston, St. Albans, and Nitro, fire climbs fast, so keep water close.
Violations of §20-3-5 carry fines of $100 to $1,000 plus a $200 civil penalty. Letting a fire escape onto forest land adds liability for suppression costs and any damage caused.
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Kanawha County, WV
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