Reading, PA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Reading, 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
- Governing law
- Reading Codified Ordinances § 180-1407, Item VV
- Adopted code
- International Fire Code, 2021 Edition
- Permit required from
- City Fire Code Official
- Enforcing office
- Dept. of Fire and Rescue, Fire Marshal
- Obstruction fine
- Up to $500, 90 days jail
- Local vs. state rule
- Whichever code is stricter controls
Summary
Reading requires a Fire Code Official permit before anyone ignites, causes to be ignited, or maintains any open burning in the City, under a 2021 amendment to the adopted International Fire Code. The Office of the Fire Marshal enforces the Fire Prevention Code and administers the permit.
VV. Chapter 3, Section 301.2. Permits. Add the following sentence at the end of 301.2. No person shall ignite, cause to be ignited, and permit to be ignited or maintain any open burning without first securing a permit from the Fire Code Official.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-8: Current through August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 180, Part 14 of the Reading Codified Ordinances adopts the International Fire Code, 2021 Edition, by reference as the City of Reading Fire Prevention Code, under Section 180-1401, and then amends it section by section in Section 180-1407. 2, Permits, by adding a sentence that requires a permit before any open burning: no person shall ignite, cause to be ignited, and permit to be ignited or maintain any open burning without first securing a permit from the Fire Code Official. Because the base permit categories and standards in IFC Chapter 3 are part of the model code text the City adopted rather than text printed in Reading's own ordinances, the permit process itself runs through the adopted 2021 IFC as amended, not through a separately drafted city section.
The Fire Prevention Code is enforced by the City of Reading Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Office of Fire Marshal, under Section 180-1406, with the Fire Marshal appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council on a biannual basis and empowered to detail assistants to carry out enforcement. Section 180-1402 sets the rule for conflicts with state law: state or Commonwealth regulations control where they're at least as strict as the local Fire Prevention Code, but Reading's code controls wherever it is stricter than the state requirement.
Obstructing or preventing the Fire Marshal from carrying out an inspection or enforcement duty is itself a summary offense under Section 180-1406(F), separate from the underlying burning violation.
Violations & Fines
Igniting, causing to be ignited, or maintaining open burning without first securing a Fire Code Official permit violates the amended IFC Section 301.2, enforced as part of the adopted Fire Prevention Code by the Office of the Fire Marshal. Obstructing the Fire Marshal's enforcement of the Code is separately a summary offense carrying a fine of up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail if unpaid, under Section 180-1406(F).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to have an open fire in my Reading yard?
Who issues open burning permits in Reading?
Does Pennsylvania state law override Reading's open burning permit rule?
Can I burn without a permit in a Reading park instead of at home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Reading
How Reading compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Reading to another location·View the Pennsylvania fire regulations overview
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