(a) No person shall set or maintain any fire upon any of the streets, sidewalks, alleys or public grounds in the township, or burn, or cause to be burned thereon, any paper, boxes, rubbish or other material or substance of any kind.
(b) No person shall set fire to, or burn out of doors, any combustible material which emits any offensive or obnoxious odor to the annoyance of such person’s neighbors.
(c) No person, being the owner, tenant or occupier of any land, shall start any field fire unless proper arrangements are made with the fire companies of the township to stand by and prevent the spreading of such fire to adjoining properties.
(d) All burning and open fires by any contractor, real estate agency, developer and/or builder within the township are hereby prohibited.
(e) (1) Recreational fires are permitted only under the terms and conditions set forth in this section and only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. The Fire Code Official and Police Department shall be authorized to require any fire to be immediately discontinued for failure to follow these regulations or if the fire is determined to constitute a hazardous condition.
(2) Hazardous conditions include, but are not limited to:
A. Windy conditions;
B. Atmospheric conditions causing failure or smoke to rise away from the public;
C. Smoke traveling to areas of the community causing untoward affects; and
D. Sparks emanating from the device.
(3) Recreational fires must be in a non-combustible container, preferably commercially designed and constructed with the sole intent of containing a recreational fire. Manufacturer’s recommendations for installation and operation must be followed at all times. Use of a fire screen is required to prevent hot sparks from flying into the air.
(4) Recreational fires shall not be located within 25 feet (7.6 m) of a structure or combustible material.
(5) Conditions that could cause a fire to spread to within 25 feet (7.6 m) of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.
(6) Recreational fires are prohibited for use on decks made of combustible material.
(7) Recreational fires are prohibited for use on decks of multi-family type residences, such as an apartment building or duplexes.
(8) Fires shall be constantly attended by a competent person until such fire is extinguished. This person shall have a garden hose connected to the water supply or other fire extinguishing equipment readily available for use.
(9) During that period of the year declared by the Fire Code Official to be the dry season, it shall be unlawful to establish recreational fires.
(10) Every commercial incinerator and commercial barbecue fireplace shall be equipped and maintained with a spark arrestor and shall be maintained in good condition, working order and repair at all times.
(11) Portable fire pits may not be located underneath overhead branches, porches, roofs, awnings or any similar device.
(12) All fire pits shall be positioned to allow at least three feet of free space all the way around it.
(13) The use of flammable or combustible liquids shall be prohibited.
(14) General safety instructions:
A. Never leave a burning fire unattended;
B. Children should be supervised around fire pits at all times;
C. Don’t leave children alone with a fire;
D. Make sure everybody knows how to put out a clothing fire (stop, drop and roll);
E. Don’t overload your fire pit with wood;
F. Keep the fuel pile small and contained within the structure of the fire pit;
G. The fuel materials shall have known burning characteristics;
H. Only use untreated hardwood in wood burning fire pits. Natural wood is preferred;
I. The quantity of fuel used shall be limited to a minimum amount required to create the fire necessary to meet the objectives of the event;
J. It should be kept as small as possible and yet be able to create the desired effect;
K. Make sure the embers have burned out before leaving the fire;
L. Don’t use fire starter or any flammable liquid to start or rekindle a fire; and
M. Keep extra wood upwind and away from the fire.
(Ord. 748, passed 6-19-1996; Ord. 885, passed 7-21-2010; Ord. 977, passed 4-18-2018)