[Amended 10-9-1995 by Ord. No. 8-1995; 8-17-2009 by Ord. No. 5-2009]
It shall be unlawful for any person to burn
or cause to be burned any material upon any land in Willistown Township
including the following: household trash, books, magazines, newspapers,
cardboard, any item or material required to be recycled in Willistown
Township under Pennsylvania Act 101, the Pennsylvania Municipal Waste
Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, yard waste, leaves, scrap lumber, vegetation, plywood,
drywall, plastic products, insulation materials, upholstered furniture,
garbage, dead animals, human and animal excrement, human and animal
hair, rubber products, tires, hydrocarbon products or flammable liquids,
asphalt or tar shingles or roofing materials, bedding, foam rubber,
nylon, rayon, cotton, wool, polyester, other synthetic material, insulation
from copper or other wiring, solid waste and/or construction waste
as defined by the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act and 25 Pa. Code 271.1.
[Amended 10-9-1995 by Ord. No. 8-1995; 8-17-2009 by Ord. No. 5-2009]
It shall be unlawful for any person to burn
or cause to be burned on one's own premises brush or wood outside
on any land in Willistown Township except where fire or burning operations
result from:
A. Any fire
set for the purpose of training and instructing authorized personnel
in firefighting, and training of persons in the use of portable fire
extinguishers. A permit is required as a prerequisite to any burning
under this subsection.
B. Any fire
set for the prevention and control of disease or pests, when approved
by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
C. Any fire
solely for organized recreational or ceremonial purposes.
D. Any fire
set in conjunction with the production of agricultural commodities
or for agricultural management and conservation practices and protection
and provided that burning is located at least 100 feet from any building
or structure. Materials burned must originate from the same property
with burning permitted only from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday
or Sunday with no burning or smoldering to occur outside those hours.
It shall henceforth be unlawful within this
township to kindle fire upon the land of another without the permission
of the owner thereof, which permission, except in the case of a family
member or employee, shall be in writing.
It shall henceforth be unlawful to light or
to authorize or, on one's own premises, to permit another to light
or attempt to light any outdoor fire when:
A. A ban on such fires has been publicly announced by
the Township Supervisors or their authorized representative in a time
of severe drought; or
B. When prevailing conditions of wind, drought and combustibility
of the surrounding area are such that other precautions hereinabove
required are clearly insufficient to prevent the fire from spreading.
Any fire on public or private property, started
or burning in violation of the provisions of this chapter, may be
extinguished by the local fire company having jurisdiction either
with or without the consent of the landowner or person in charge if,
in the opinion of a Willistown Township police officer, such fire
constitutes a danger to persons or property.
[Amended 6-10-1986 by Ord. No. 5-1986]
Any person, firm, association or corporation
violating any of the terms of this chapter shall be subject, upon
conviction thereof before any District Justice, to a fine of not more
than $300, together with the costs of prosecution, or in default of
payment thereof, shall suffer imprisonment in the county jail for
a period of not more than 30 days, in the discretion of the Justice
before whom the conviction is obtained.
Ordinance No. 8, enacted October 14, 1958, is
hereby repealed.