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Dorchester County, MD
 
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Table of Contents
Code
New Laws (2) Index
[HISTORY: Adopted by the County Council of Dorchester County 7-1-2008 by Bill No. 2008-10. Amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following words have the meanings indicated:
BURNING BAN
A complete ban on all open air burning that is declared by the County as a result of prolonged or unusual conditions conducive to the easy starting and spread of fire.
COUNTY
County Council of Dorchester County, Maryland.
OPEN AIR BURNING
A fire where any material is burned in the open or in a receptacle other than a furnace, incinerator, or other equipment connected to a stack or chimney.
PUBLIC OFFICER
Any police officer who is authorized to enforce the laws of the State of Maryland or the laws of Dorchester County, Maryland.
A. 
Subject to Subsection C of this section, a person may not start or allow open air burning in an area in which a burning ban imposed by the County is in effect. The burning ban shall be imposed by the County, by resolution, without the necessity of a public hearing.
B. 
Notice of burning ban.
[Amended 10-4-2011 by Bill No. 2011-6]
(1) 
Promptly after adoption of the resolution imposing the burning ban, Council shall cause a notice thereof to be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in Dorchester County, Maryland. The notice shall state:
(a) 
The date and time the burning ban goes into effect; and
(b) 
The area(s) in Dorchester County that the burning ban affects; and
(2) 
Notice of the burning ban shall also be published on the County's website and notice provided to local radio stations and local television stations requesting the local radio stations and local television stations announce the burning ban as an emergency news event.
C. 
This chapter does not apply to:
(1) 
The supervised burning of buildings or solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels conducted under the direct control and supervision of qualified instructors at a training center operated by a fire department; or
(2) 
Any other supervised burning conducted under the direct control and supervision of qualified fire instructors or a fire chief, captain or fire line officer of a fire department that has fire jurisdiction over the area where the supervised burning occurs.
On reasonable suspicion of open air burning of privately owned property in an area in which a burning ban is in effect, a public officer may enter on the privately owned property of any person to extinguish the fire or to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
Any person violating the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500 for each such violation.