Allegheny County Open Burning Regulations

Fast Facts About Open Burning in Allegheny County

Open burning is prohibited except by permit or when it is done in a manner which contributes a negligible amount of air contaminants meaning:

• No material other than clean wood, propane, or natural gas may be burned EXCEPT for commercially available fire logs, paraffin logs, or wood pellets
• Paper or commercial smokeless fire starters for the purposes of starting a fire
• Charcoal for the preparation of food only
• Fires may be no larger than 3' wide by 3' long by 2' high.    
• Fires must be at least 15' from the nearest neighbor's dwelling or inhabited area including the property line, roadway, sidewalk, or other public access area
  

All wood burning activities are prohibited on Air Quality Action days, with the exception of burning for the commercial preparation of food. Sign up to be notified of Air Quality Action days by clicking here.

Burning may be considered a nuisance due to the severity of the amount of air pollutants, the duration or frequency of the burning, the topography of the surrounding, or the meteorological conditions.

Remember! Your local municipal ordinances may be equal to or more stringent than ACHD's regulations.

Smokey fire? Nuisance burning? Call ACHD's 24-Hour Complaint Line at 412-687-2243 or submit a complaint online: Air Quality Complaint Form.

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