Open Burning Regulations
Washington Township Fire Department
Notice is hereby given that the following amended Open Burning Regulations
adopted by the Washington Township Trustees are effective August 03, 2006
· Bonfires, campfires and outdoor fireplace equipment, whether for cooking food for human consumption, pleasure, religious, ceremonial, warmth, recreational, or similar purposes, if they are fueled with clean seasoned firewood, natural gas or equivalent, or any clean burning fuel with emissions that are equivalent or lower than these; that are not used for waste disposal purposes; and have a total fuel area of less than three (3) feet in diameter and two (2) feet in height are permitted only when the following conditions are met.
1. Fires are conducted in a commercially prepared burning device such as an outdoor fireplace, chimnea, barbecue grill, etc.
OR – fires conducted in an open fire pit, that is surrounded by a 12” non-combustible fire stop of stone, brick or block.
2. Fires are to be placed a minimum of ten (10) feet from any structure or decking and a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from any roadway.
3. All fires shall be attended at all times during burning until completely extinguished.
4. Adequate firefighting equipment shall be on-site for extinguishing purposes.
5. If at any time a fire creates a threat to public health, a nuisance, or a fire hazard;
the burning shall be extinguished.
· Open Burning within Washington Township shall be prohibited at all times during the declaration of an Ozone action day by the Toledo Division of Environmental Services.
· The burning of residential or agricultural waste shall be strictly prohibited.
· The Fire Chief of Washington Township shall have the authority to prohibit any and/or all open burning, if the Fire Chief or the designee of the Fire Chief determines that conditions are such that outdoor open burning cannot be accomplished safely, or if the terms and conditions of the ordinance, law, rule or regulation governing outdoor open burning in Washington Township, are being violated.
· Any person or entity, as a condition of conducting open burning, shall be deemed to have assumed all responsibility and obligation to take all necessary precautions to control any fire and prevent any escape, and shall be fully liable for all damage to property and injury to person as a result of any outdoor burning, and is liable for all expenses incurred by Washington Township in the suppression of such fire.
· Any person, firm or corporation who negligently allows a fire to escape or who is unable to control any open burning fire, which results in the Washington Township Fire Department attending to, containing, or extinguishing the fire, shall be charged at the rate of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) per hour, for each vehicle dispatched, to attend to, contain, or extinguish the fire.