This chapter shall be known as the "Open Burning Ordinance."
This chapter applies to all outdoor burning and open burning
within the Borough of Munhall except for the following:
A. It shall not apply to grilling or cooking food using charcoal, wood,
propane or natural gas in cooking or grilling appliances in an appropriate
container or fireplace.
B. It shall not apply to burning for the purpose of generating heat
in a stove, furnace, fireplace or other heating device within a building
used for human or animal habitation.
C. It shall not apply to the use of propane, acetylene, natural gas,
gasoline or kerosene in a device intended for heating, construction
or maintenance activities.
Open burning of wood, trees, logs, brush and/or stumps shall
only be permitted in compliance with the following:
A. Only clean, dry wood products may be burned.
B. Burning shall only be permitted in an approved outdoor rated fireplace,
fire pit, chimney or fifty-five gallon drum.
C. No burning shall be permitted between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and
7:00 a.m., prevailing time.
D. All burning and fires must be no less than 15 feet distant from the
nearest structure.
E. All outdoor burning shall be attended at all times by an individual
not younger than 18 years of age.
F. Adequate means of fire extinguishment must be immediately available
at all times when outdoor burning is taking place.
G. Burning at construction sites having a valid building permit for
the purpose of providing warmth shall only be permitted if the weather
is at or below 32° F. and said burning shall only take place in
a fifty-five gallon drum suitable for containing such fire.
H. Persons utilizing or maintaining an outdoor fire shall be responsible
for all fire suppression costs and any other liability resulting from
damage caused by the fire.
I. All allowed open burning shall be conducted in a safe, nuisance-free
manner, when wind and weather conditions minimize adverse effects
and do not create a health hazard or a visibility hazard on roadways,
railroads or airfields. Open burning shall be conducted in conformance
with all local and state fire protection regulations and the 2006
International Fire Code.
J. No materials may be burned upon any street, curb, gutter, sidewalk
or on the ice of a lake, pond, stream, body of water or on any public
property.
K. No person shall be permitted to create or permit an open fire on
property unless he/she has the legal right to possession of that property.
L. The Fire Marshal or other authorized officer, agent, employee or
representative of the Borough of Munhall who presents credentials
may inspect any property for the purpose of ascertaining compliance
with the provisions of this chapter.
Refuse shall include any waste material, including building
supplies, garbage, grass and leaves. It shall not include trees, logs,
brush, stumps, and other vegetative matter.
The Fire Marshal shall have the power to prohibit open burning
if such burning is contrary to the provisions of this chapter or the
2006 international Fire Code.
Any person or entity found to be in violation of this chapter shall be subject to a civil fine as provided in Chapter
1, Article
II, General Penalty, of the Code of the Borough of Munhall for each violation.
Any person or entity aggrieved by a decision of the Fire Marshal
shall have the right of appeal to the Munhall Borough Code Enforcement
Board.