Chester County, PA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Chester County does not have its own open-burning ordinance; the controlling rule is 25 Pa Code 129.14, administered by the PA Department of Environmental Protection. That regulation prohibits open burning of material where emissions are visible off the property line, cause malodorous air contaminants off-property, interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of life or property, damage vegetation or property, or are deleterious to human or animal health. It carves out exceptions for Department-approved fire-hazard prevention, firefighter training, and disease or pest control; agricultural burning on farms; 'domestic refuse burning on premises occupied by no more than two families'; fires set solely for recreational or ceremonial purposes; and fires set solely for cooking food.