Springfield, OH Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Chapter 1511, Open Burning, defines "open burning" broadly as combustion whose air contaminants are emitted directly into the open air without passing through a stack or chimney, including burning refuse in any device not built to meet the applicable Ohio Administrative Code design standards, under Section 1511.01(g). Within a "restricted area," which under Section 1511.01(i) covers the entire City of Springfield plus a one-mile buffer given its population, open burning is generally prohibited under Section 1511.03(a) except for the purposes the section lists. Section 1511.03(b) lists activities exempt from any Ohio EPA notification or permission requirement, and the very first exempt purpose is "cooking for human consumption," grouped with occupational heating uses such as heating tar, welding, acetylene torches, highway safety flares, and smudge pots.

Both categories share two conditions: the fire cannot be used for waste disposal purposes, and it must be kept to the minimum size the purpose actually requires, with fuel chosen to minimize air-contaminant emissions. By contrast, other purposes such as pest-control burning or ceremonial fires require prior notice to the Ohio EPA under Section 1511.03(c), and disposal of hazardous materials or emergency burning requires the Ohio EPA's written permission under Section 1511.03(d). The chapter's general penalty at Section 1511.99 makes any Chapter 1511 violation, including turning a cooking fire into improper waste disposal, a third-degree misdemeanor.