[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of East Greenwich 6-22-1993 by Ord. No. 595 as Sec. 6-2 of the 1993 Code. Amended in its entirety 2-2-2026 by Ord. No. 931. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
General penalty — See Ch. 1, Art. III.
STATE LAW REFERENCES
Restrictions on open air fires — See R.I.G.L. § 2-12-6.
Burning in open fires — See R.I.G.L. § 23-23-18.
No person shall kindle, maintain, or permit any outdoor fire within the Town of East Greenwich except as expressly authorized in this chapter. Every person who kindles or maintains any outdoor fire within the Town that is not expressly authorized or permitted as described herein may be found to be in violation of the Town Code.
A. 
Recreational burning.
(1) 
The outdoor burning of clean, dry, and authorized fuels for the purpose of cooking, warmth, or aesthetic enjoyment, such as in a chiminea, grill, outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or campfire. Recreational burning shall only be authorized under this section from the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Burning in fire pits and campfires must occur in devices/areas no larger than three feet by three feet. All recreational burning is prohibited within 15 feet of property lines, except for recreational burning in permanent and fixed devices legally constructed prior to the adoption of this ordinance. This exception shall not apply to fire pits or campfires.
(2) 
Only the following fuels are authorized for use in recreational burning:
(a) 
Clean wood.
(b) 
Seasoned logs or branches.
(c) 
Wood pellets.
(d) 
Propane or natural gas.
(e) 
Charcoal.
B. 
Fires requiring permits. Permits may be issued by the Fire Department for land clearance and yard waste burning so long as the required guidelines below are met:
(1) 
Permits shall specify the location, the name and address of the permittee, and shall be issued by the Fire Department solely at their discretion.
(2) 
Permits shall only authorize burning under this section from the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(3) 
Permits may be issued only for the burning of brush and tree limbs that originate from the permittee's property upon which the burning will take place. Burning of all other materials is expressly prohibited, including but not limited to leaves, oils, paints, trash, furniture, pressure-treated lumber, painted wood, construction debris, rubbish, tires, gasoline, or other hazardous substances.
(4) 
Maximum size: five feet high x five feet wide. The total burning area shall not exceed 25 square feet.
(5) 
Must be located at least 100 feet from any structure and 100 feet from any property line.
(6) 
Adult supervision required at all times.
(7) 
An adequate water supply must be available for extinguishment.
C. 
Training fires.
(1) 
Fires authorized by the Fire Department for training or other fire department purposes.
A. 
No burning of any kind shall be permitted on Red Flag days or during periods of high wind as determined by the Fire Department or the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM).
B. 
All fires must be immediately extinguished if requested by the Fire Department or Police Department.
C. 
Burning permits may be revoked at any time without warning by the Fire Department should the Fire Department determine that the burning is creating or will create a nuisance or fail to comply with the permit and all other legal requirements.
A. 
Violations of the provisions of this chapter shall be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, Article III, of the Code of the Town of East Greenwich.
B. 
The Fire Department shall have primary enforcement authority for fire-related violations under this chapter. The Police Department shall have authority to issue citations, enforce civil fines, and take further action as necessary under Town ordinance.