Stamford, CT Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Stamford, CT, 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
- Brush burning
- Prohibited outright, no exceptions
- Other open burning
- Certificate required from open burning official
- Fine
- $200 per violation, by citation
- Enforcement
- Fire department extinguishes the fire
- Governing section
- Code § 127-5(B)-(E)
Summary
Stamford bans backyard brush burning outright and prohibits nearly all other open burning unless the fire department's open burning official issues a certificate under state DEEP rules: violators face a $200 fine and an extinguished fire.
B.Prohibition of Open Burning of Brush. The open burning of brush on residential property is prohibited. C.Prohibition of Other Open Burning Except as Permitted by State Law and Regulations. All other open burning of any material is prohibited, unless otherwise specifically permitted by Connecticut General Statutes § 22a-174(f) or § 22a-174-17 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, as the same may be amended from time to time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72).
Full Breakdown
Code § 127-5 splits open burning into two bans: brush burning on residential property is prohibited outright with no exceptions (§ 127-5.B), while every other kind of open burning is banned unless the city's open burning official, appointed by the Mayor and certified under state law, issues a certificate consistent with Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-174(f) and the DEEP burning regulations (§ 127-5.C-D). A copy of any certificate goes to the health and police departments, and it can carry added restrictions. Cooking fires and small recreational fires are defined out of 'open burning' entirely and are covered separately.
Violations & Fines
Unlawful open burning, burning without a required certificate, or breaking a certificate's conditions draws a $200 fine by citation, and the fire department extinguishes the fire regardless (§ 127-5.E).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn brush in my Stamford yard?
Is any open burning allowed in Stamford?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stamford
How Stamford compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Stamford to another location·View the Connecticut fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle outdoor burning.