Reading, PA does not have a city-designated Wildfire Hazard Severity Zone. Pennsylvania has not adopted IFC Chapter 49 (Requirements for Wildland-Urban Interface Areas) statewide, and Reading has not adopted it locally through Section 180-1407. Berks County is rated low overall wildfire risk by the USDA Forest Service, though about 60 percent of Pennsylvania homes sit within the wildland-urban interface boundary mapped by DCNR.
Unlike California (Government Code Section 51178 / CCR Title 14 Sections 1280.00 et seq.) or other western states, Pennsylvania does not impose statewide Wildfire Hazard Severity Zone (WHSZ) mapping or defensible-space requirements. The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (34 Pa. Code Chapters 401-405) adopts the 2018 IFC and IBC for use across the Commonwealth, but Chapter 49 of the IFC ('Requirements for Wildland-Urban Interface Areas') and the companion International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) have not been adopted at the state level. Reading's local IFC amendments at Section 180-1407 do not add Chapter 49 either, and there are no Hillside Fire Safety overlays in the Reading Zoning Code. The USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities tool rates Berks County's overall wildfire risk as low, although Pennsylvania DCNR's mapping shows that close to 60 percent of homes statewide are within the wildland-urban interface (WUI) boundary - a planning category, not a regulatory zone. Property owners in Reading should still observe the 25 Pa. Code Section 129.14 open-burning rules, the Reading Quality of Life vegetation-height rule (6 inches), and the Pennsylvania DCNR Spring and Fall Fire Season advisories. New construction in Reading is permitted under the PA Uniform Construction Code with no wildfire-specific overlays.
Because there is no adopted WHSZ in Reading or Pennsylvania broadly, there are no wildfire-zone-specific violations or fines. Underlying open-burning, vegetation, and IFC requirements are still enforced by the Fire Marshal and Property and Codes Enforcement, and PADEP can assess civil penalties up to $25,000 per day under the Air Pollution Control Act for unauthorized burning during high-risk periods.
Reading, PA
Every swimming pool in Reading must be enclosed by a permanent barrier or fence at least four feet in height with no opening larger than four inches, and the...
Reading, PA
Reading Zoning Code § 600-1304 bans barbed-wire fences in residential settings, electrically-charged fences (except invisible pet fences), broken glass affix...
Reading, PA
Reading's zoning code does not require neighbor consent for a boundary fence under § 600-1301, but Pennsylvania's partition-fence statute (53 P.S. § 46202) a...
Reading, PA
Reading Zoning Code § 600-1301 requires a permit from the Zoning Administrator for any fence, wall, or similar structure greater than three feet in height. F...
Reading, PA
Reading Code Section 141-220 effectively caps a household at six dogs and/or cats combined. Owning more than six requires a permit from the Reading Animal Co...
Reading, PA
Backyard composting in Reading is permitted and encouraged. The City participates in the Pennsylvania Act 101 (Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste ...
See how Reading's wildfire zones rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.