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Read MoreBurn barrels are an integral part of life for plenty of households.
When waste disposal services are rare or hard to access, sometimes it’s simplest to burn things and be done with it.
Burn barrels make it easy to get rid of flammable, safe materials like yard waste and food scraps. They can reduce weeds and paper products down to ash that’s good for your yard and garden in very little time.
However, burn barrels aren’t always legal. Depending on your state, burn barrels might not be an option for you. You might need a permit, training, or your state may just ban them outright during certain times of year.
Overall, the standard answer is that burn barrels are legal. However, they do come with certain restrictions. These can vary – normally including limits on proximity to buildings, materials you can burn, and so on.
Always make sure to use a burn barrel in plenty of open space.
Burn barrels are safe and convenient if they’re used correctly.
The problem is that many people don’t understand how to use them safely. Because common sense isn’t always common, many local governments put restrictions in place on how burn barrels can be used. They may even outlaw them entirely.
In locations where wildfires are common, burn barrels are often outlawed to prevent sparks from spreading. The huge pillars of smoke that can come up off of a burn barrel can spread sparks up to half a mile, depending on the wind. A burn barrel can cause fires that the owner isn’t even aware of until it’s too late and a new wildfire has started.
In environmentally-aware locations, burn barrels might be banned, too. Some people will throw any trash into a burn barrel. That includes plastics and chemicals that can poison both the burn barrel owners and their neighbors. This leads to bans for the sake of protecting local health and air quality.
When it comes to whether burn barrels are legal, it’s important to check your local laws. Even if they’re legal in your state, your county or town may have other regulations. If you’re not sure, you can always ask your town hall for more information.
While burn barrels are legal in general, their restriction can vary state by state.
I’ve gone ahead and put together a quick state by state summary to save everyone time. It took a lot of research to put together, so I hope it helps you out!
State | Permit Required? | Link | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Alabama | No | Link" | May get temporarily restricted due to risk of wildfires |
Alaska | Yes | Link | Burn permits required due to wildfire risk. |
Arizona | Yes | Link | Burn permits required due to air quality rules. |
Arkansas | No | Link | Non vegetative burns face fines up to $5000 |
California | Yes | Link | |
Colorado | Yes | Link | |
Connecticut | Yes | Link | |
Delaware | Yes | Link | |
Florida | No | Link | |
Georgia | Yes | Link | |
Hawaii | Yes | Link | |
Idaho | No | Link | |
Illinois | No | Link | |
Indiana | No | Link | |
Iowa | No | Link | |
Kansas | Yes | Link | |
Kentucky | No | Link | Nothing within 150ft of woodland in fire season. |
Louisiana | No | Link | |
Maine | Yes | Link | |
Maryland | No | Link | Nothing within 200ft of woodland. |
Massachusetts | No | Link | Except within dense cities and towns. At least 75ft from buildings. |
Michigan | No | Link | Not within 1,400ft of a city or village. |
Minnesota | No | Link | |
Mississippi | No | Link | Except during burn bans. |
Missouri | No | Link | |
Montana | No | Link | Through November 30 only. |
Nebraska | Yes | Link | |
Nevada | Yes | Link | Depends per county - see link. |
New Hampshire | No | Link | |
New Jersey | Yes | Link | |
New Mexico | No | Link | |
New York | No | Link | |
North Carolina | No | Link | |
North Dakota | No | Link | |
Ohio | No | Link | |
Oklahoma | No | Link | |
Oregon | No | Link | |
Pennsylvania | No | Link | |
Rhode Island | Yes | Link | |
South Carolina | No | Link | |
South Dakota | No | Link | |
Tennessee | Yes | Link | From October 15 - May 15. |
Texas | No | Link | |
Utah | Yes | Link | |
Vermont | Yes | Link | |
Virginia | No | Link | |
Washington | Yes | Link | |
West Virginia | Yes | Link | |
Wisconsin | Yes | Link | |
Wyoming | No | Link |
If you want to safely use your burn barrel you should follow standard campfire safety guidelines.
You’re working with fire, hot metal, and smoke, after all. If your local county requires a permit, they will probably give you some info about safely burning stuff in your area during the permit process. Follow those guidelines above all.
If you don’t need a permit, there are some common-sense rules to follow.
Burn barrels are a great way to get rid of garden waste – provided the burn barrel is legal in your area. They can be perfectly safe and environmentally friendly if you use them correctly.
I hope this quick guide has helped clarify the legal restrictions in your state, and how to make the most out of your barrel.
Just follow your local guidelines and you’ll have a great tool for getting rid of unwanted yard waste.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
-Craig