Stratford, CT Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Stratford's Solid Waste chapter, Chapter 182, lists prohibited acts in § 182-6, and Subsection H reads: the burning of acceptable solid waste or other waste is prohibited, except as approved by the Director of Public Works. The prohibition is written as a flat ban on burning waste anywhere in the Town of Stratford, with one approval path: the Director of Public Works. The ordinance prints no application form, fee or criteria for that approval.

The Air Pollution chapter, Chapter 44, treats open burning separately. Section 44-11 states that open burning is governed by the Department of Environmental Protection, Section 19-508-17 of Department of Environmental Protection regulations. The chapter's own definition describes open burning as burning under such conditions that the products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air space and are not conducted there through a stack, chimney, duct or pipe, and it adds that open burning includes underground and smoldering (underground) fires. Under § 44-10.A(3), open burning conducted under Section 19-508-17 is not subject to the visible-emissions subsection, which otherwise bars visible air pollutants with greater than twenty-percent opacity. Section 44-12 separately forbids constructing a new incinerator within the Town unless it is a multichamber incinerator, and § 44-14 requires Health Department review of plans before anyone constructs, reconstructs, installs or alters fuel-burning equipment or other equipment capable of emitting smoke, dust or odor.

The Director of Health administers and enforces the Air Pollution chapter (§ 44-16), and the Mayor designates an Air Pollution Control Officer with authority to enter private property to inspect and investigate (§ 44-18). Smoke that becomes a nuisance also falls under § 44-10.D(4), which bars emitting particulate matter into the open air in a manner that causes a nuisance. Chapter 182 is enforced by citation issued by the Director of Health or a duly authorized agent.