[Adopted 2-25-2015 by Ord. No. 317 as Ch. 10, Art. III, of the 2015 Pittsfield
Charter Township Code]
This article is intended to promote the public health, safety
and welfare and to safeguard the health, comfort, living conditions,
safety and welfare of the citizens of the Township by regulating the
air pollution and fire hazards of open burning and outdoor burning.
This article applies to all outdoor burning and open burning
within the Township.
A.
Except as provided in § 10-13, this article does not apply to grilling or cooking food using charcoal, wood, propane or natural gas in cooking or grilling appliances.
B.
This article does 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.
This article does not apply to the use of propane, acetylene, natural
gas, gasoline or kerosene in a device intended for heating, construction
or maintenance activities.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
An outdoor fire utilized for ceremonial or recreational purposes,
no larger than five feet by five feet by five feet, on parcels not
smaller than one acre.
A small outdoor fire intended for recreation or cooking but
not including a fire intended for disposal of waste wood or refuse.
No larger than three feet by three feet by three feet. Campfire must
be 15 feet from any combustible surface and property line.
Natural wood which has not been painted, varnished or coated
with a similar material; has not been pressure treated with preservatives;
and does not contain resins or glues as in plywood or other composite
wood products.
Building waste materials, including but not limited to waste
shingles, insulation, lumber, treated wood, painted wood, wiring,
plastics, packaging, and rubble that results from construction, remodeling,
repair, and demolition operations on a house, commercial or industrial
building, or other structure.
The department head of the Township Public Safety Department
or other person designated by the Director of Public Safety.
A county, township, city, or village.
Kindling or maintaining a fire where the products of combustion
are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through
a stack or a chimney. This includes burning in a burn barrel.
Open burning or burning in an outdoor wood-fired boiler or
patio wood-burning unit.
A wood-fired boiler, stove or furnace that is not located
within a building intended for habitation by humans or domestic animals.
A chimney, patio warmer, or other portable wood-burning device
used for outdoor recreation and/or heating.
The burning, in compliance with a prescription and to meet
planned fire or land management objectives, of a continuous cover
of fuels.
A written plan establishing the criteria necessary for starting,
controlling, and extinguishing a burn.
Open burning and outdoor burning are prohibited in the Township
unless the burning is specifically permitted by this article.
Open burning of refuse is prohibited.
A.
Open burning of trees, logs, brush, stumps, leaves, and grass clippings
is prohibited unless the burning is specifically permitted in this
article.
B.
Open burning of trees, logs, brush, stumps, leaves and grass clippings
is permitted in zoned agricultural districts.
C.
A permit issued in accordance with § 10-16 must be obtained prior to open burning under this section.
D.
Except for barbecue, gas, and charcoal grills, no open burning shall
be undertaken during periods when the Governor of Michigan has issued
a burning ban applicable to the area.
E.
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.
F.
Open burning shall be conducted only on the property on which the
materials were generated.
G.
Outdoor campfires and bonfires for cooking, ceremonies, or recreation
are allowed, provided they do not cause a nuisance.
H.
Open burning under this section shall only be conducted at a location
at least 50 feet from any structure and 15 feet from any property
line.
I.
Except for campfires and bonfires, open burning shall only be conducted
between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and one hour prior to dusk.
J.
A bonfire shall not be more than five feet wide and five feet high
and shall not burn longer than three hours. The maximum size and duration
of a bonfire shall not be increased by the Fire Department personnel
unless it is determined that fire safety requirements of the situation
and the desirable duration of burn warrant the increase. Fuel for
a bonfire shall consist solely of seasoned dry firewood and shall
be ignited with a small quantity of paper. The fire shall not be utilized
for waste disposal purposes.
K.
Open burning shall be constantly attended and supervised by a competent
person of at least 18 years of age until the fire is extinguished
and is cold. The person shall have readily available for use such
fire extinguishing equipment as may be necessary for the total control
of the fire.
L.
Materials shall not be burned upon any street, curb, gutter or sidewalk
or on the ice of a lake, pond, stream or water body.
M.
Except for barbecue, gas, and charcoal grills, no burning shall be
undertaken within 50 feet from any combustible material, combustible
wall or partition, exterior window opening, exit access or exit unless
authorized by the Director of Public Safety or his/her designee.
N.
No open burning may be conducted on days when the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality has declared an "air quality action day"
applicable to the Township.
O.
Open burning shall be in one location on permitted property. The
size of the open burn may not exceed 15 feet in height and 15 feet
in diameter.
Open burning of weeds, brush, and crop stubble on agricultural
lands is allowed if conducted in accordance with other applicable
provisions of this chapter.
A.
All prescribed burns require a permit which may only be issued after
plan review by the Department of Public Safety.
B.
Fires set for forest, prairie, and wildlife habitat management are
allowed only if conducted in accordance with Part 515 of the Natural
Resources and Environmental Protection Act, MCL 324.51501 et seq.
After February 19, 2011, no person shall install an outdoor
wood-fired boiler in the Township until federal or state regulations
pertaining to the manufacturing of wood-fired boilers are adopted
by the Township.
Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall
not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible
construction.
A patio wood-burning unit may be installed and used in the Township
only in accordance with all of the following provisions:
A.
The patio wood-burning unit shall not be used to burn refuse.
B.
The patio wood-burning unit shall burn only clean wood.
C.
The patio wood-burning unit shall be located at least 15 feet from
the nearest structure.
D.
The patio wood-burning unit shall not cause a nuisance to neighbors.
E.
The use of patio wood-burning units is prohibited on balconies and
covered porches of multifamily dwellings.
Notwithstanding §§ 10-7 and 10-8, structures and other materials may be burned for fire prevention training only in accordance with all of the following provisions:
A.
The burn must be exclusively for fire prevention training. The burning
shall not be used as a means to dispose of waste material, including
tires and other hazardous materials.
B.
Any standing structure that will be used in fire suppression training
must be inspected and should be inspected by a licensed asbestos inspector.
A notification of this inspection must be submitted to the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Division at least
10 business days prior to burning a standing structure. The notification
must be submitted to Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
or its successor agency with same authority, using Form EQP 5661 "Notification
of Intent to Renovate/Demolish or other form as designated by proper
inspecting agency."
C.
All asbestos must be removed prior to conducting the fire suppression
training. If the structure is a residential dwelling, the owner may
remove the asbestos or have it removed by a licensed abatement contractor.
If it is a commercial building, all asbestos must be removed by a
licensed abatement contractor.
D.
All ash shall be disposed of in an approved landfill or at an alternate
location approved by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
E.
Asphalt shingles and asphalt or plastic siding shall be removed prior
to the practice burn unless the Director of Public Safety or his/her
designee determines that they are necessary for the fire practice.
F.
At least 48 hours before a planned practice burn, residents within
1,000 feet of the site of the proposed burn shall be notified.
G.
All fire suppression training should conform to the guidelines established
by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard on Live
Fire Training Evolutions (NFPA 1403).
A.
No person shall start or maintain any open burning covered under
this section without a burning permit issued by the Director of Public
Safety or his/her designee.
B.
Any person responsible for burning leaves, brush, clean wood or other vegetative debris under § 10-9 shall obtain a burning permit before starting the fire.
C.
When weather conditions warrant, the Director of Public Safety or
his/her designee may temporarily suspend issuing burning permits and
may temporarily suspend previously issued burning permits for open
burning.
D.
A burning permit issued under this section shall require compliance
with all applicable provisions of this article and any additional
special restrictions deemed necessary to protect public health and
safety.
E.
Any violation of the conditions of a burning permit shall be deemed
a violation of this article. Any violation of this article or the
burning permit shall void the permit.
F.
Permits will be issued through the Township Department of Public
Safety, provided all requirements of this article are met.
G.
The Director of Public Safety may adopt procedures for the issuance
of burning permits and the enforcement of this article.
A person 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.
The Director of Public Safety or his/her designee or any authorized
officer, agent, employee or representative of the Township who presents
credentials may inspect any property for the purpose of ascertaining
compliance with the provisions of this article.
A.
Certified personnel of the Department of Public Safety and Township
and code enforcement personnel are authorized to enforce the provisions
of this article.
B.
A violation of this article is a municipal civil infraction.
C.
Any individual, firm, association, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, consortium, governmental entity, or any other legal entity who violates any of the provisions of this article or fails to comply with a duly authorized order issued pursuant to this article may be issued a municipal civil infraction subject to the penalties established by Chapter 2, Article V, Municipal Civil Infractions; Civil Fines and Penalties, of the Pittsfield Charter Township Code.
