Bonfires and agricultural burning are illegal in Baltimore County without permits from the Fire Marshal and, in some cases, from local environmental authorities. (Baltimore County Fire Prevention Code, Chapter 10)
Leaf burning is prohibited throughout the county; the Department of Public Works collects leaves and other yard waste as part of its regular collection schedule.
Open burning, including recreational bonfires, is prohibited inside the perimeter of the Beltway (I-695).
Outside the Beltway, recreational bonfires require a permit from the local Office of the Fire Marshal, 410-887-4880.
Agricultural burning - the burning of agricultural debris such as brush, stumps and limbs not associated with building construction - requires approval by the environmental health section of the county's Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management (DEPRM), 410-887-3775. The material to be burned must have originated on the property where the burning will take place. DEPRM inspects the site to ensure that it meets the criteria for an agricultural burn and, if those criteria are met, authorizes the Fire Marshal's Office to issue a permit.
The Fire Code requires permit holders to keep the permit at the site of the fire until the burning is complete. The Code also requires a bulldozer with a competent operator at large bonfires; the bulldozer may be used to control the fire by covering it with earth or by some other means, if the need arises.
Small, outdoor fires for cooking -- campfires, broilers, grills, hibachi -- that are constantly attended are allowed.
Revised September 19, 2007
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