Parma, OH Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Parma, 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
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances § 660.46
- Restricted area
- All of Parma is a restricted area
- Bonfire size limit
- 3-foot diameter, 2 feet high
- Fuel requirement
- Clean seasoned firewood or equivalent
- Offense level
- Minor misdemeanor, per-day violation
- Extra penalty
- Must pay proper disposal cost of burned material
Summary
Parma bans open burning citywide as a 'restricted area' under state air rules, except for narrow carve-outs like small bonfires under three feet in diameter and two feet high fueled by clean seasoned firewood. Section 660.46 folds in the Ohio EPA's open burning regulations and adds its own minor misdemeanor penalty plus disposal-cost reimbursement.
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... Bonfires, campfires and outdoor fireplace equipment, whether for cooking food for human consumption, pleasure, religious, ceremonial, warmth, recreational, or similar purposes, if the following conditions are met: 1. They are fueled with clean seasoned firewood, natural gas or equivalent, or any clean burning fuel with emissions that are equivalent to or lower than those created from the burning of seasoned firewood; 2. They are not used for waste disposal purposes; and 3. They shall have a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
46(c)(1) prohibits any person or property owner from causing or allowing open burning in a restricted area, and defines 'restricted area' under subsection (a)(1)K to include the entire territory of any municipal corporation such as Parma. Limited exceptions apply without needing Ohio EPA permission: occupational needs like welding, tar heating and highway flares; bonfires, campfires and outdoor fireplace equipment for cooking, ceremonial, recreational or warmth purposes, so long as they burn clean seasoned firewood or an equivalent clean fuel, are not used for waste disposal, and stay within a three-foot-diameter, two-foot-high fuel area; and emergency burning of clean wood waste or deceased animals caused by a tornado, flood, earthquake or similar disaster.
Subsection (b) makes clear that no Ohio EPA permission to burn excuses compliance with any Ohio Revised Code section or local ordinance dealing with open burning, and that no burning may occur at all while an air alert, warning or emergency is in effect under OAC Chapter 3745-25. The section incorporates the Ohio Administrative Code's open burning rules (OAC 3745-19-01 through -05) by reference, tying Parma's local ban directly to state air-quality regulation.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 660.46 is a minor misdemeanor under subsection (e), with a separate offense committed each day the violation occurs or continues, though a minor misdemeanor carries no jail exposure and is capped at a $150 fine under Section 698.02. Beyond the fine, the offender must also pay the cost of properly disposing of whatever was illegally burned, calculated as what proper disposal would have cost under the city's and state's air, water and solid waste rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a backyard fire pit in Parma?
Is burning yard waste or trash allowed in Parma?
What is the penalty for illegal open burning in Parma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
How Parma compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Parma to another location·View the Ohio fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle outdoor burning.