[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
The purposes of this Part are to prevent private and public nuisances caused by outdoor fires deliberately or carelessly set and maintained; to avoid unnecessary calls and false alarms to fire companies; to protect respiratory health of Township residents; to provide for public safety; and to minimize adverse impacts on neighboring properties created by inappropriate location and improper construction or installation of solid fuel furnaces.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
Certain words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
CHIMNEY
Any vertical structure enclosing a flue or flues that carry off smoke, fumes or exhaust from an outdoor fuel burning appliance, especially that part of such structure extending above the roof.
CLEARING AND GRUBBING WASTE
Trees, shrubs, and other native vegetation which are cleared from land during timber harvest, land clearing, or during or prior to construction.
CONTAINED FIRE
Any fire contained in an incinerator, fireplace designed for outdoor cooking, recreational fire pit, fireproof container or metal or masonry constructed enclosure.
FIRE
Any fire set or maintained outside of any building; provided, however, that an outdoor solid fuel furnace which meets the requirements of § 7-103(10) and (11) of this Part shall not be considered a fire.
LEGAL HOLIDAY
New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
OUTDOOR SOLID FUEL FURNACE
Any equipment, device, appliance, apparatus or structure which is installed, affixed, or situated outdoors which is used for the primary purpose of combustion of fuel to produce heat or energy used as a component of a heating system providing heat for any interior space or water source, greenhouse or swimming pool. For purposes of this Part and any other ordinance or regulation applicable in the Township of Montour, including, but not limited to, Chapter 27, Zoning, and Uniform Construction Code, outdoor solid fuel furnaces shall be considered structures and accessory uses.
PERSON
Any individual, public or private partnership or corporation for profit or not for profit, association, firm, trust, estate, department, board, bureau, or agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the federal government, political subdivision, district, authority, or any other legal entity whatsoever which is recognized by law as the subject of any of the requirements of this Part.
RECREATIONAL FIRE
A contained fire as further defined in § 7-111.
RESPONSIBLE ADULT
An individual 18 years of age or older, who is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol or suffering from any other disability which would impair his or her ability to properly supervise a fire.
STRUCTURE
Any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water, whether or not affixed to the land.
UNCONTAINED FIRE
Any fire except a "contained fire."
YARD WASTE
Leaves, grass clippings, garden residue, tree trimmings, chipped shrubbery, and other vegetative material.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
1. 
No fire shall be set or maintained within 20 feet of any building.
2. 
No fire shall be set or maintained on any public road or public property.
3. 
No fire shall be set or maintained that may endanger any building or property.
4. 
No fire shall be set or maintained which affects neighboring properties by discharging obnoxious odors, dense smoke or fly ash.
5. 
The burning of any garbage, vegetable waste, rubber, plastics, furniture, glass, metal, car products or any other material which will create nauseous or noxious fumes, dense smoke, toxic chemicals or excess fly ash is specifically prohibited.
6. 
The burning of paper, yard waste, clearing and grubbing waste or other readily combustible material that will not create nauseous or noxious fumes, dense smoke, toxic chemicals or excess fly ash is allowed in accord with §§ 7-106 and 7-107 of this Part.
7. 
After the effective date of this Part, no person shall construct, install, or establish an outdoor solid fuel furnace unless such person has secured from the Township Zoning Officer a permit which documents that such installation will be in full compliance with this Part and all other applicable rules and regulations.
8. 
All outdoor solid fuel furnaces shall be manufactured, laboratory tested and certified in accordance with appropriate safety standards such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories), CAN/CSA (Canada National Standard/Canadian Standards Association), or ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards or other appropriate standards.
9. 
All such facilities shall be constructed, established, installed, operated and maintained in accordance with manufacturer's instructions and requirements of this Part. In the event of a conflict between the manufacturer's instructions and this Part, the stricter requirement shall apply.
10. 
Outdoor solid fuel furnaces shall not be used to burn materials other than those recommended by the manufacturer and shall be specifically be prohibited from burning rubbish, garbage, food waste, packaging materials, paint, painted wood and materials, furniture, paper, household or business waste, waste oil, asphalt products, shingles, composite wood products, plywood, plastic, polystyrene, foam, synthetic rubber, tires, wood products treated with preservatives or petroleum, railroad ties and such other materials as may contain or generate toxins or hazardous substances.
11. 
No outdoor solid fuel furnace shall be constructed or operated within 150 feet from any property boundary line.
12. 
Any outdoor solid fuel furnace shall have a minimum chimney height as specified by the manufacturer, measured from the base of the furnace to the exhaust opening of the chimney.
13. 
All outdoor solid fuel furnaces shall comply with the air emissions standards for outdoor solid fuel furnaces as promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
14. 
All outdoor solid fuel furnace waste and ash shall be disposed of in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
15. 
Any officer, employee, or agent of Montour Township shall be permitted to inspect any property on which an outdoor solid fuel furnace is located for the purpose of ascertaining compliance with the provisions of this Part.
16. 
Outdoor solid fuel furnaces shall be dismantled, removed entirely from the property, and the site restored to a safe condition within 90 days after its use has been discontinued or upon inspection and determination by the Township Code Enforcement Officer that the outdoor solid fuel furnace poses a safety or health hazard.
17. 
The Township shall have the right to enter the property and take ash samples to ascertain whether prohibited materials have been burned in the outdoor solid fuel furnace. Should it be determined that prohibited materials have been burned, the Township may order dismantling and removal of the outdoor solid fuel furnace and restoration of the site.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
1. 
Outdoor heating devices which do not involve the combustion of solid fuels, such as cooking stoves, heat pumps, solar energy devices, or other heating devices utilizing electricity, oil, propane or natural gas as fuels are not considered "outdoor solid fuel furnaces" for the purposes of this Part and are, therefore, exempt from regulation hereunder.
2. 
Permanent masonry fireplaces and grilles used exclusively for cooking shall not be considered "outdoor solid fuel furnaces" and are exempt from the requirements of this Part.
3. 
All outdoor solid fuel furnaces, as defined herein, existing within the Township on the effective date of this Part for which a zoning permit had been issued, shall be inspected within 90 days of the effective date of this Part to ascertain whether the preexisting outdoor solid fuel furnace operation complies with § 7-103(10) and (11).
4. 
Placing and outdoor solid fuel furnace within a separate structure does not exempt said outdoor solid fuel furnace from any of the requirements of this Part.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
1. 
In order to obtain a permit for an outdoor solid fuel, furnace the property owner shall be required to submit an application and a site plan showing:
A. 
The proposed location of the furnace on the property, and the distances from that location to the boundary lines of the property. Such information may be depicted on an aerial photograph of the specific parcel obtained using Columbia County on-line mapping tools (www.columbiapa.org). If such map is used and if setback distance from the property line is closer than 165 feet (with 15 feet being the assumed margin of error) using the on-line County mapping tools, the applicant shall confirm the actual property boundary on the ground and measure the distance for purposes of this requirement.
B. 
A copy of the manufacturer's specifications and instructions for installation and operation;
C. 
Payment of the permit fee as may be established by the Township.
2. 
Following installation of the outdoor solid fuel furnace, and prior to any operation thereof, the property owner shall promptly contact the Township and schedule a site inspection of the furnace and appurtenant structure and facilities as installed to verify compliance with all requirements of this Part and other applicable regulations. Upon verification of satisfactory installation and compliance with all requirements, authorization to operate the furnace shall be issued to the property owner.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
1. 
Contained fires shall be used only to burn readily combustible material.
2. 
Contained fires shall be permitted only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of each and every week from sunrise to sunset and only when the fire is maintained more than 150 feet from any property line or roadway. If permitted day of burning falls on a legal holiday, no burning shall be allowed.
3. 
All contained fires shall be completely extinguished by sunset.
4. 
The above limitations shall not apply to barbecues or other outdoor cooking.
5. 
No contained fires shall be maintained unless constantly attended by at least one responsible adult. Means of controlling the fire shall be readily available.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
1. 
No uncontained fire shall be maintained unless constantly attended by at least one responsible adult. Means of controlling the fire shall be readily available.
2. 
Uncontained fires shall be permitted only on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of each and every week from sunrise to sunset and only when the fire is maintained more than 150 feet from any property line or roadway. If permitted day of burning falls on a Legal Holiday, no burning shall be allowed.
3. 
No less than 48 hours prior to the start of any uncontained fire, the property owner shall notify both the Montour Township Code Enforcement Officer and the Montour Township Fire Department.
4. 
Uncontained fires shall only be permitted for the purposes of burning clearing and grubbing waste and yard waste.
5. 
All uncontained fires shall be completely extinguished by sunset.
6. 
Large uncontained fires consisting of clearing and grubbing waste where it is not feasible to extinguish the fire prior to sunset shall be permitted so long as the fire is completely surrounded by an earthen berm capable of prohibiting the spread of the fire.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
The Board of Supervisors may ban all or some contained and uncontained fires, when, in its opinion, weather conditions make such burning hazardous to the health, safety and welfare of persons and property.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
Any person operating or maintaining an outdoor solid fuel furnace shall be responsible for all fire suppression costs and any other liability resulting from damage caused by a fire originating in such furnace.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
1. 
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this Part, upon conviction in a summary proceeding, shall pay a fine or not less than $25 and not more than $1,000 and/or suffer imprisonment for a period of not less than 90 days.
2. 
In addition to the above penalties, any person, firm or corporation who violates any provision of this Part may be enjoined by appropriate legal proceedings.
[Ord. No. 10/11/2001, §§ 101, 201-208, 301-303; as amended 3/21/2019]
1. 
Contained fires may be set for recreational purposes pursuant to the following specific conditions:
A. 
Only Wood Shall Be Burned. No excessive smoke or nauseous or noxious fumes are permitted. Recreational fires shall comply with § 7-103(4) of this Part.
B. 
Recreational fires shall be contained in a pit or enclosure made of noncombustible material such as iron, steel, masonry or stone. Said enclosure must be located not closer than 20 feet to any structure. A recreational fire enclosure shall be no more than three feet high and four feet wide.
C. 
Means of controlling the fire shall be readily available.
D. 
The fire shall be maintained by a responsible adult at all times.
2. 
Recreational fires shall be extinguished thoroughly before leaving the area or by 11:00 p.m.
3. 
Only grills or barbecues fueled by wood, charcoal, liquid propane gas and/or natural gas are permitted for the purposes of preparing food.