Allegheny County, PA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Allegheny County, PA, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Default rule
- Permit required for open burning
- Ban authority
- Health Department nuisance determination
- Bad-air-day ban
- No wood burning on Action Days
- Enforcement
- § 505-79 penalties
Summary
Allegheny County bans open burning without a permit and lets the Health Department stop any fire it deems a nuisance based on pollution, duration, or weather.
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.
(3) Presumption. Proof that the defendant in any enforcement action owns or controls the property on which open burning occurs shall be prima facie evidence that such defendant has conducted, or allowed to be conducted, such open burning.
(4) Permits.
(a) The Department may issue a permit for open burning during a period specified by the Department, but only where the open burning is solely for: [1] The abatement of a fire or public health hazard when the burning is conducted under the supervision of a public officer; [2]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4857026; v12 updated 2024-06-04; through 06-04-2024).
Full Breakdown
The county's Air Pollution Control chapter prohibits open burning of any material unless the Health Department has issued a permit, with narrow permit-free exceptions for cooking, recreation, light, or ornament. Even a permitted or exempt fire can be shut down: the Department may prohibit or reduce any open burning it determines to be a nuisance, weighing pollutant severity, burn duration or frequency, surrounding topography, and meteorological conditions. Wood burning is also banned outright on declared Air Quality Action Days.
Violations & Fines
Open burning without a required permit, or continuing a fire after the Department orders it stopped as a nuisance, violates § 505-48 and is enforceable under § 505-79.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Allegheny County order me to stop a fire?
Is open burning banned during poor air quality days?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Allegheny County
How Allegheny County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Allegheny County to another location·View the Pennsylvania fire regulations overview
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