Middletown, OH Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Middletown, OH, 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
- Restricted area
- City limits plus 1 mile
- General rule
- Open burning banned in restricted area
- Air alert days
- No open burning permitted
- Penalty
- Minor misdemeanor, per-day offense
- Extra cost
- Offender pays disposal cost
Summary
In the City of Middletown, Ohio, open burning is banned within the city's restricted area except for narrow purposes such as bonfires, disease-control burns with Ohio EPA notice, or agricultural waste disposal meeting strict conditions. Violation is a minor misdemeanor plus disposal costs.
§ 660.08 OPEN BURNING. ... (c) Open burning in restricted areas. (1) No person or property owner shall cause or allow open burning in a restricted area except as provided in divisions (b) to (d) of this section or in Ohio R.C. 3704.11. ... (e) Penalty. Whoever violates any of the provisions of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues. In addition, the offender shall be required to pay the cost of proper disposal of the materials burned.
Full Breakdown
Section 660.08 adopts Ohio EPA's open-burning rules (O.A.C. Chapter 3745-19) as Middletown's own regulation. Because the City's population exceeds 10,000, its RESTRICTED AREA reaches one mile beyond the municipal boundary (§ 660.08(a)(1)M). Within a restricted area, "no person or property owner shall cause or allow open burning ... except as provided in divisions (b) to (d) of this section or in Ohio R.C. 3704.11" (§ 660.08(c)(1)). Permitted-without-notice categories include heating tar, welding, highway safety flares, and bonfires or outdoor fireplace equipment meeting fuel and size limits (§ 660.08(c)(2)).
Categories requiring advance notice to Ohio EPA include disease/pest control burns and agricultural waste disposal set at least 1,000 feet from any inhabited building not on the premises (§ 660.08(c)(3)). Categories requiring written Ohio EPA permission include disposal of ignitable or explosive materials and firefighter training burns (§ 660.08(c)(4)-(d)). No open burning is allowed at all during an air alert, warning or emergency under O.A.C. Chapter 3745-25 (§ 660.08(b)(1)). Ohio EPA permission never excuses compliance with any other state or local burning law (§ 660.08(b)(2)).
Violations & Fines
Violating any open-burning provision of § 660.08 is a minor misdemeanor, with a separate offense for each day the violation continues, and the offender must also pay the cost of properly disposing of the materials burned as if disposed of lawfully.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is open burning legal in Middletown, Ohio?
Can I get permission to burn agricultural or land-clearing waste?
What is the penalty for illegal open burning?
Can I burn during an air quality alert?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middletown
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