Borough of Biglerville, PA Fire Prevention and Fire Protection

[Ord. No. 5-2020, 7/7/2020[1]]

Outdoors fires shall be permitted upon private property within the Biglerville Borough, under the following conditions:

No outdoor fire shall be permitted or allowed to smolder during the period between sunrise and sunset on Sunday. Further, no such fire shall be allowed to burn or smolder on any day except during the period beginning with sunrise and ending at sunset.

Every outdoor fire shall be built in and confined to a noncombustible container constructed of noncoated metal, stone or brick, shall be of sturdy construction, aerated and elevated two inches above the ground. The container shall be a specified distance from any buildings or other combustible material or vegetation and covered with a screen of 1/2 inch small mesh, which shall not produce dirt, grit or flying debris. A permit is required to burn on your property and may be applied and filed through the Borough office.

In those cases where it is impractical to confine the fire to a noncombustible container, an open fire shall be permitted upon application filed at the Borough office and inspection of the site by the Biglerville Borough Police Department and the Biglerville Fire Chief. The open fire shall not create excessive smoke, dirt, grit, flying debris or offensive odor. It must be a safe distance from buildings or other combustible material or vegetation and shall be in an open area. The application shall designate the necessity of request for burning and the adequacy of safety precautions during the burning.

The burning of the following items in a barrel are permitted: paper (but no glossy print materials or colored paper), cardboard (but no plastic-coated cardboard) and dead tree limbs [but no yard waste (i.e., leaves, grass, weeds, green wood)]. No plastics of any kind, no painted, stained or manufactured wood and no treated lumber may be burned in a barrel, as well as food scraps, metal, aerosol cans, animal waste or their deceased carcasses, along with no rubber or petroleum products, furniture, mattresses or clothing. If clarification is needed, call the Borough office.

No fire shall be closer than 30 feet from any buildings or other combustible material or vegetation.

All outdoor fires herein authorized shall be supervised or controlled by the person or persons or maintaining the same. That person shall be 18 years of age or older.

No person shall kindle or maintain any fire except on their own property or with written permission of the owner.

Nothing herein shall restrict or prohibit the reasonable and safe use of barbeque pits, fireplaces, fire pits and outdoor grills by residents upon their property.

The application for permit to burn (open or barrel) shall constitute notice to the Borough. The Borough Administrator shall forward one copy of the application to the Borough Fire and Police Chief. Should burning take place with no permit, a warning shall be issued. In the case of a second offense, a fine will be levied and you will be banned from future permits for burning. If it is reported that any items which are prohibited are being burned, a citation shall be levied and a ban from burning issued immediately.

The annual fee for a permit to burn (barrel or open) is $20, payable to Biglerville Borough, and must be renewed annually and will be approved by the Borough Police and Fire Chief, upon inspection. The permit is nontransferable to a new owner upon sale of the property.

Penalties. Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this Part shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs as well as being banned from any burning in the future. Each day that a violation of this Part continues shall constitute a separate offense.

[1]

Editor's Note: This ordinance superseded former Part 1, Fire Prevention and Burning, adopted by Ord. No. 8-94, 10/6/1994, as amended.