Outdoor burning rules in Flint, MI — 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 of yard waste, leaves, and refuse is prohibited in Flint. Michigan's Part 115 solid-waste law (MCL 324.11501 et seq.) bans open burning of yard waste in every municipality over 7,500 population, which includes Flint, and the Michigan-adopted IFC Section 307 reinforces the ban. Only contained recreational fires burning clean wood are allowed; piles, leaf burning, and burning of construction or demolition debris are not.
Two layers of law combine to make residential open burning effectively prohibited in Flint. First, the Michigan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (Part 115, MCL 324.11501 et seq.), administered by the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), bans the open burning of yard waste — leaves, brush, grass clippings — in every Michigan municipality with a population of 7,500 or more. Flint, with roughly 81,000 residents, falls within this prohibition. Second, the Michigan-adopted International Fire Code (IFC) Section 307, in force in Flint under PA 230 of 1972, restricts open burning and outdoor fire activities and requires the fire code official's approval for any open burning beyond a recreational fire. Trash, leaves, treated wood, plastics, construction debris, and demolition material are prohibited fuels under both rule sets. Charcoal and propane grills used for cooking are not 'open burning' and are unaffected. The Flint Fire Marshal enforces the IFC, may order extinguishment, and can recover suppression costs. EGLE Air Quality Division may add penalties under state air-quality law.
Open burning of yard waste or refuse violates Michigan NREPA Part 115 and the city-adopted IFC Section 307. The Flint Fire Marshal may order immediate extinguishment, issue municipal civil-infraction citations, and bill suppression costs. EGLE can add civil fines under state air-quality law, and serious or repeat violations can lead to misdemeanor charges. Fires that escape and damage neighboring property expose the burner to civil liability for the damage.
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See how Flint's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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