Passaic County, NJ Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Passaic County, NJ, 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
- Open fires
- Confined to designated locations only
- Fire pits/bonfires
- Not allowed whatsoever
- Burn bans
- County may post to halt grilling
- Enforcement
- Passaic County Sheriff's Department
- Penalty
- Up to $200 fine or 90 days jail
Summary
New Jersey counties don't set neighborhood burn rules, that's municipal, but on its own park land Passaic County bans open burning outright. Article II, Section 22 of the Park Property Ordinance confines any fire to places the County has designated, and gives the County standing authority to post fire bans that shut down even grilling regardless of fuel.
No person shall start or maintain a fire, except in the places provided for such a purpose... Deep fryers, torches, open fire pits, and bonfires are not allowed whatsoever. During active posted fire bans, no grilling is allowed regardless of fuel source.
Full Breakdown
' That single sentence is the county's open-burning prohibition for park land, there is no exception for leaf burning, brush clearing, or any other open flame outside a designated fire location, and the ordinance goes on to list deep fryers, torches, open fire pits and bonfires as 'not allowed whatsoever' regardless of where on the property they're set. The same section builds in a standing burn-ban mechanism rather than a one-time rule: 'During active posted fire bans, no grilling is allowed regardless of fuel source,' meaning the County can suspend even permitted cooking equipment when conditions warrant simply by posting notice at the park.
Article I, Section 1(a)(5) allows the County to make an otherwise-prohibited act lawful 'under, by virtue of, and strictly with the provisions of a permit,' so a fire outside a designated area could become lawful only if the County itself issues a written permit; no other route exists. Enforcement runs through the Passaic County Sheriff's Department and any New Jersey peace officer under Article I, Section 1(c), with the citation heard in the municipal court for whichever of the county's 16 municipalities the park sits in, Section 1(c) names 'the Municipal Court having jurisdiction over the territory wherein the violation shall have occurred' rather than a county tribunal.
Violations & Fines
Article I, Section 1(f) is the ordinance's catch-all penalty clause: up to 90 days in the county jail, a fine of up to $200, or both, for any act the ordinance 'declares to be unlawful' without stating its own penalty, the clause that governs an unauthorized open fire. A violator who damages county property while burning is also on the hook for its repair or restoration under the same subsection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Passaic County regulate open burning outside its parks?
Can I light a campfire anywhere in a county park?
Who enforces a burning violation in a county park?
What triggers a posted fire ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Passaic County
How Passaic County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Passaic County to another location·View the New Jersey fire regulations overview
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