Haverford, PA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Haverford, 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.
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- Open fire to destroy refuse or run salvage operation outside any building
- Leaves, twigs and brush
- Burning prohibited under § 43-5(B)(4)
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 plus costs
- Jail on default of payment
- Not to exceed 90 days
- Enforced by
- Police Chief, Code Enforcement Officer or authorized agent
- Approved burns
- Rubbish only, with enforcement agent approval
Summary
Haverford Township bars open fires for destroying refuse or running a salvage operation anywhere outside a building, and separately prohibits burning leaves, twigs and brush. Exceptions cover public officers abating a hazard, burns approved by the enforcement agent, and portable outdoor fireplaces. A violation carries a fine of up to $1,000 plus costs.
A. After the effective date of this article, no person shall: (1) Ignite or feed an open fire for the destruction of refuse or in the conduct of a salvage operation in any public or private place outside of any building; or (2) Cause, suffer, allow or permit the maintenance of any open fire for the destruction of refuse or in the conduct of a salvage operation on any property under his control outside any building. B. Exceptions. (1) Open fires may be set in the performance of an official duty of any public officer if the fire is necessary for the following: ... (2) Open fires may be set with the approval of the authorized enforcement agent of this article, provided that: (a) Rubbish only is burned. (b) There is no practical available alternate method for the disposal of the material to be burned. (c) No hazardous or other objectionable condition will be created by such burning. ... (4) The burning of leaves, twigs and brush is prohibited.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 43 of the Haverford Township Code, the Haverford Township Air Pollution Control Ordinance of 1970, starts from a finding by the Board of Commissioners that air pollution from an open fire is detrimental to the health, comfort, living conditions, welfare and safety of Township residents. Section 43-5(A) then makes it unlawful to ignite or feed an open fire for the destruction of refuse, or in the conduct of a salvage operation, in any public or private place outside of any building. The rule also reaches the property owner: no one can cause, suffer, allow or permit the maintenance of such a fire on property under his control.
The definitions in § 43-3 set the scope. An open fire is a fire in which any material is burned in the open or in a receptacle other than a furnace or incinerator, or portable outdoor fireplace. Refuse means garbage, rubbish and trade waste, and rubbish expressly includes wood, paper, ashes, tree branches, tree leaves and yard trimmings. Section 43-5(B)(4), added by Ord. No. 2722 on July 14, 2014, adds a flat rule: the burning of leaves, twigs and brush is prohibited.
The exceptions are narrow. A public officer can set an open fire in the performance of an official duty when the fire is necessary to prevent a fire hazard that cannot be abated by other means, or to protect public health. Anyone else needs the approval of the authorized enforcement agent, and only if rubbish only is burned, there is no practical available alternate method for disposal, and no hazardous or other objectionable condition will be created. Portable outdoor fireplaces are carved out of the open fire definition and run under their own standards in § 43-5(B)(3), covered on the Haverford Township fire pit page.
Under § 43-4, the Haverford Township Police Chief, the Code Enforcement Officer or any other duly authorized agent has the power and duty to enforce the article.
Violations & Fines
Section 43-6 treats a violation as a summary offense brought before a magisterial district judge under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. Conviction carries a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs, and in default of payment a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation continues, or each section found to have been violated, counts as a separate offense, so a fire left burning across several days multiplies the exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn leaves or brush in my yard in Haverford Township?
Who approves an exception to the open burning ban in Haverford Township?
What is the penalty for an illegal open fire in Haverford Township?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Haverford
How Haverford compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Haverford to another location·View the Pennsylvania fire regulations overview
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