Freehold Township, NJ Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Adopted in 2022 by Ord. No. O-22-8 as Chapter 162, Article V, Freehold Township's open burning ordinance responds to what the Township Committee calls a serious hazard to public health, safety and quality of life from combustible burning in a residential setting (§ 162-31A). The article defines OPEN BURNING as an outdoor fire where wood or combustible materials are burned for entertainment, and permits that kind of fire without a permit at single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes, provided the article's other regulations are followed (§ 162-31C, D(1)).

FIREWOOD is limited to the trunks and branches of trees and bushes; leaves, needles, vines and brush under three inches in diameter don't count. Section 162-31D(7) bars burning yard waste, leaves, brush, vines, evergreen needles, small branches, treated lumber, garbage or paper products, so a fire pit may only burn firewood or untreated lumber. shutoff rules covered separately under this Township's fire-pit standards. Enforcement runs through the fire prevention officer, the Police Department and the Code Enforcement Officer (§ 162-31E(1)), any of whom may order an open fire extinguished if it becomes a nuisance, defined in the article as any odor, emission or event that prevents reasonable use and enjoyment of one's property.

Because the permit-free allowance covers only the three listed housing types, multifamily buildings and commercial properties fall outside it and remain subject to the Uniform Fire Code enforced separately under Chapter 162, Article II.