Hammond, IN Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

007 makes it unlawful to "dispose of refuse by open burning or cause, suffer, allow or permit open burning of refuse" without a permit from the Chief of the Department of Air Pollution Control. A continuing permit can run up to one year once issued, but it is not automatic: the applicant must first show the Chief that burning "is absolutely necessary and in the public interest," then file a written request covering seven specific items, including the applicant's name and contact information, the type of business or activity, a description of the equipment and the type and quantity of air contaminants that will be released, the burning schedule, the exact burn location, why no disposal method other than open burning will work, and written evidence that the Fire Department has already approved the proposed burning.

The Chief can also "impose other reasonable conditions necessary to prevent the creation of a nuisance" on top of the application requirements, giving the Department of Air Pollution Control broad discretion over any permit it issues. 007(D) flatly bars using open burning to conduct a salvage operation in the city, with no permit path around that ban. The section sits in Chapter 90's air pollution control rules, alongside the city's fuel, emissions and vapor-control standards enforced by the same Chief, so an unpermitted burn is treated as an air quality violation, not simply a fire-code issue, even though the Fire Department has to approve the underlying activity first.