Outdoor burning rules in Tuscaloosa, AL — also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance — set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Tuscaloosa Code Section 11-28 bans open burning citywide without a permit, except for cooking, recreational/ceremonial fires, and construction-worker heating. Permitted burns must be 500 feet from dwellings, use only untreated wood and vegetation, and burn only between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Contact Fire Prevention at 205-248-5420.
Open burning in Tuscaloosa is tightly controlled by Tuscaloosa Code of Ordinances Section 11-28. The rule states that no person may kindle or maintain any open fire within the city and its police jurisdiction without a city permit, except for: (a) cooking food for human consumption, (b) salamanders or heating devices used by construction workers, and (c) fires for recreational or ceremonial purposes. Larger burns - clearing for construction, utility-line work, right-of-way maintenance, recreational-area development, or plant-husbandry practices - may be permitted by Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue only if they meet strict criteria. The burn site must be at least 500 feet from the nearest occupied dwelling other than one on the burning property. Only untreated wood and vegetation may be burned; paper, cardboard, heavy oils, paint, asphaltic materials, rubber, plastics, refuse, and garbage are prohibited. No fire may be started or fuel added except between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The fire must be attended at all times with a connected hose or other extinguishing equipment ready. Burning is banned during a National Weather Service air-stagnation advisory, a governor-declared drought emergency, or a city 'no burn' advisory, and must not create a traffic hazard. The fire chief may revoke a burn permit at any time. To request a burn permit, contact Fire Prevention at 205-248-5420, Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Open burning without a required permit, or violating any condition of Section 11-28 (wrong materials, wrong hours, too close to dwellings, unattended), is a misdemeanor under Tuscaloosa Code Section 11-22, penalized under Section 1-8. Burn permits can also be revoked by the fire chief if a fire becomes a danger or nuisance.
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