The following shall apply to bonfires and outdoor fires:
A. Burning of rubbish shall be prohibited except in approved
incinerators.
B. The burning of herbaceous or infested plant life, the
burning of orchard prunings and cuttings, prescribed burnings and the clearing
of agricultural land by burning are prohibited by this chapter, unless in
accordance with a permit issued under the provisions of N.J.A.C. 7:27-2, administered
by the State Forest Fire Service in the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection.
C. A person shall not kindle or maintain any bonfire or
authorize any such fire to be kindled or maintained unless:
(1) The location is approved by the Fire Official and is
not less than 50 feet from any structure and adequate provision is made to
prevent fire from spreading to within 50 feet of any structure; or
(2) The fire is contained in an approved burner located safely
not less than 15 feet from any structure.
D. Fuel for bonfires shall consist of seasoned dry wood
only and shall be ignited with a small quantity of paper only. Bonfires shall
not contain rubbish, garbage, trash, any material made of or coated with rubber,
plastic, leather or petroleum-based materials and shall not contain any flammable
or combustible liquids. The allowable quantity of wood to be burned shall
be determined by the Fire Official and shall be based upon the requirements
of the situation and the desirable duration of burn.
E. Bonfires shall be constantly attended by a competent
person until such fire is extinguished. This person shall have fire-extinguishing
equipment readily available for use as deemed necessary by the Fire Official.
F. The Fire Official may prohibit any or all bonfires that
are or could be offensive or objectionable due to smoke or odor emissions
when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous.
The Fire Official shall order the extinguishment, by the permit holder or
the Fire Department, of any bonfire that creates or adds to a hazardous or
objectionable situation.
G. In districts for which fire wardens have been appointed
in accordance with the General Forest Fire Act (N.J.S.A. 13:9-44.1 et seq.), the granting of permits for campfires shall be administered and
enforced by the State Forest Fire Service.
H. Open burning shall be allowed without prior notice to
the Fire Official for cooking fires, highway safety flares, smudge pots and
similar occupational needs.
A violations of this chapter shall be punishable as provided in Chapter
1, General Provisions, Article
I.