Arlington County, VA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Arlington County, VA, 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
- Leaf/yard waste burning
- Prohibited outright, § 307.1.2
- Hazardous smoke/odor burning
- Prohibited, § 307.1.3
- Enforcing agency
- Arlington County Fire Marshal's Office
- Coverage
- Countywide, no incorporated towns
- Prohibited fuels
- Treated wood, rubbish, paper, land-clearing waste
Summary
Arlington County's Fire Prevention Code flatly bans burning leaves and yard waste anywhere in the county, and separately prohibits any open burning that produces hazardous smoke or odor, as judged by the fire code official.
307.1.2 Burning of leaves and yard waste. The burning of leaves and yard waste is prohibited. 307.1.3 Objectionable smoke, odor or hazard. Burning that produces smoke or odor emissions, which create a hazard, as determined by the fire code official, or when atmospheric or local circumstances make such fires hazardous, shall be prohibited.
Full Breakdown
1 of the County Code) states plainly that the burning of leaves and yard waste is prohibited, with no residential exception; this applies countywide because Arlington has no incorporated towns and no unincorporated-area carve-out. 3 adds a broader smoke and odor standard: burning that produces smoke or odor emissions creating a hazard, as determined by the fire code official, or burning that becomes hazardous because of atmospheric or local circumstances, is also prohibited, giving the Fire Marshal's Office discretion to shut down any open fire, not just yard-waste burning, when conditions make it dangerous.
8. Residents with fall leaves or lawn clippings must use another disposal method, such as county yard-waste collection or composting, rather than burning; the code does not carve out any permit path that would legalize leaf or yard-waste burning in Arlington County.
Violations & Fines
Burning leaves, yard waste, or any material that creates hazardous smoke or odor violates §§ 307.1.2 and 307.1.3 of the Fire Prevention Code and is enforced by the Arlington County Fire Marshal's Office, which can order a fire extinguished on the spot; the code's general enforcement provisions authorize the fire code official to act whenever atmospheric or local conditions make an open fire hazardous.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn fall leaves in my Arlington County yard?
Can the fire marshal stop any open fire, not just leaf burning?
Is there a permit that allows leaf burning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
How Arlington County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Arlington County to another location·View the Virginia fire regulations overview
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