Youngstown, OH Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Youngstown Codified Ordinances Section 1511.05(a) makes open burning unlawful citywide unless it is 'conducted and approved in accordance with this section,' meaning it must fit one of the categories Chapter 1511 allows: a bonfire, a recreational fire, or a burn the Fire Code Official has permitted. Section 1511.05(b) separately bars 'open burning that is offensive or objectionable because of smoke or odor emissions or when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous,' regardless of size or purpose. Section 1511.05(c) requires a permit from the Fire Code Official, obtained by the landowner, before kindling a fire for silvicultural, range or wildlife-management practices, disease or pest control, or a bonfire; the application follows Ohio Fire Code Rule 1301:7-7-01.

Section 1511.05(f) sets the baseline clearance for any open burning: the fire site must be 'not less than 50 feet ... from any structure,' with steps taken to keep it from spreading within that 50-foot ring. Section 1511.05(e) lets the Fire Code Official order the permit holder, another responsible person, or the Fire Department itself to put out any open burning that turns hazardous or objectionable. Beyond the local chapter, Section 1511.03 layers on the state's Ohio EPA open-burning rules for a 'restricted area,' which for a municipality of Youngstown's population extends a mile past the city limits.

Violating any part of Chapter 1511 is a third-degree misdemeanor under Section 1511.99, carrying up to a $500 fine, 60 days in jail, or both.