Outdoor burning rules in Lehigh 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.
Open burning in Allentown requires a Fire Prevention permit, and only clean, dry wood may be burned - no garbage, rubbish, rubber, plastic, leather, or petroleum materials. One permit is allowed per month per property. Boroughs and townships regulate burning separately, subject to PA DEP air rules.
Pennsylvania counties do not run open-burning programs; the city or municipality does, within PA Department of Environmental Protection air-quality limits. Allentown (Codified Ord. Ch. 285) requires a permit and inspection for any outdoor fire and limits it to one burning permit per month per property unless the Fire Chief allows more. Only dry wood may be used; burning garbage, trash, rubber, plastic, leather, or petroleum-based material is prohibited. The fire official can cancel any fire in high winds or dry conditions. Many townships bar burning of household trash entirely under DEP rules; always confirm locally before lighting.
Burning prohibited materials or without a permit can be ordered stopped and cited under the fire code, and illegal burning of waste may draw PA DEP air-pollution enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lehigh County, PA
Pennsylvania sets no numeric hoarding limit, but the state's animal-neglect law makes it a crime to keep animals without providing each one adequate food, wa...
Lehigh County, PA
Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations make it unlawful to intentionally feed bear or elk anywhere in the Commonwealth, including Lehigh County. Feeding th...
Lehigh County, PA
Home composting is permitted in Lehigh County; Pennsylvania's Act 101 encourages diverting yard waste. There is no county composting permit. Keep piles maint...
Lehigh County, PA
Lehigh County sets no rule on artificial turf. Whether synthetic grass is allowed, and any limits on impervious coverage or front-yard use, depends on your m...
Lehigh County, PA
No Lehigh County rule limits native plantings, and Pennsylvania encourages them. The catch is Allentown's 10-inch weed limit: a deliberate, maintained native...
Lehigh County, PA
Pennsylvania has no law restricting rainwater collection, and Lehigh County imposes none. Homeowners may install rain barrels and cisterns for non-potable us...
See how Lehigh County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.