OPEN BURNING

Who controls “Open Burning”

In Montgomery and surrounding Counties the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency “RAPCA” controls Open Burning.  They enforce the Ohio EPA’s rules. You can contact RAPCA at 225-4435, or www.rapca.org.  The Fire Department controls “Unfriendly Fires”, fires that endanger life or property.  Many Open Burning type fires end up endangering life and/or property.  Be aware that you must attend any fire at all times with an extinguishing method readily available.  Any fire you have, that damage property or life, is your personal responsibility, homeowners insurance will not cover your losses.

What does the Ohio EPA consider “open burning”?

You are open burning any time you light an outdoor fire. In the past, many materials - including leaves, tree trimmings, tires and construction debris - were routinely burned outdoors.

Why do Ohio’s laws prohibit so many kinds of open burning?

Depending upon the material being burned, open fires can release many kinds of toxic fumes.  Leaves and plant materials send aloft millions of spores when they catch fire, causing many people with allergies to have difficulty breathing. The pollutants released by open burning also make it more difficult to attain, or maintain, health-based air quality standards, especially in or near the major metropolitan centers. The gases released by open burning can also harm neighboring buildings by corroding metal siding and damaging paint. Besides, open burning is not a very efficient way to get rid of wastes since open fires do not get hot enough to burn the materials completely.

What materials can never be burned?

Some materials may not be burned anywhere in the state at any time.  These are:

• materials containing rubber, grease and asphalt or made from petroleum, such as tires, cars and auto parts, plastics, or plastic-coated wire
• garbage-any wastes created in the process of handling, preparing, cooking, or consumption of food
   
• dead animals
• buildings / standing structures (except by fire depts. for training - state permit required)

OPEN BURNING IS PROHIBITED WHEN AIR POLLUTION WARNINGS, ALERTS, OR EMERGENCIES ARE IN EFFECT

What types of open burning are permitted in Englewood?

A few types of open burning are permitted.  Fires must be kept to a minimum size for their intended purpose, and shall not be used for waste disposal purposes.

Permitted burning includes:

• cooking for human consumption (barbecues, campfires, cookouts)
• heating tar
• welding and acetylene torches
• smudge pots and similar occupational needs
• heating for warmth of outdoor workers and strikers.  Use common sense: use only clean wood and restrict the size of the fire so it can be contained in a 55-gallon drum.

By notifying the Ohio EPA in advance, ceremonial fires can be set for limited periods of time. Fires must be limited in size to 3 feet by 2 feet and may not burn for more than three hours. 

Under certain circumstances, fires set to train firefighters, to dispose of certain ignitable or explosive materials, or to dispose of poisons such as pesticides and their containers are allowed WITH PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM OHIO EPA or RAPCA. Recognized horticultural, silvicultural, range, or wildlife management practices involve open burning, also are allowed with prior written permission from Ohio EPA. This permission may take two weeks to obtain.

Fires intended to control disease or pests may be set if the local health department, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture verifies to Ohio EPA that open burning is the only appropriate control method.

No wastes generated off the premises may be burned.  For example, a tree trimming contractor may not haul branches and limbs to another site to burn them.

Open burning is prohibited when air pollution warnings, alerts, or emergencies are in effect.

More detailed information can be obtained at the Ohio EPA's website through this link:

http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dapc/regs/3745-19/3745_19.html

Click Here for a Two page document detailing these open burning regulations