Open Burning Ordinance General Reference Information
- All open burning shall be conducted in a safe, nuisance free manner with a permit issued by the Chesterfield Fire Department.
- The open burning of brush, tree stumps, branches, yard clippings, leaves and grass clippings may be allowed between Apr. 1 – May 21 and from Oct. 1 to Nov. 22 of each year after first having secured a permit. Burning shall only be conducted during daylight hours and shall be completely extinguished prior to sunset.
- Campfires shall not require permits but must not be larger than 4 feet wide x 4 feet deep x 4 feet tall.
- Burning for heating, construction, outside maintenance activities or small (clean) wood fires confined to a metal container utilized by licensed contractors is permitted.
- Fires must be a minimum of 50 feet from the nearest building.
- Open burning shall be constantly attended and supervised by a competent person of at least eighteen (18) years of age.
- If wind speeds exceed 15mph, please call to confirm that open burning is still allowed – even if you have been issued a burn permit.
Materials That Cannot Be Burned:
- Construction and demolition materials.
- Hazardous substances including but not limited to batteries, household chemicals, pesticides, used oil, gasoline, paints, varnishes and solvents.
- Furniture and appliances.
- Any plastic materials including but not limited to nylon, PVC, ABS, polystyrene or urethane foam, and synthetic fabrics, plastic films and plastic containers.
- Treated or painted wood including but not limited to plywood, composite wood products or other wood products that are painted, varnished or treated with preservatives.
Prohibited Burn Locations:
- No materials may be burned in or upon any street, curb, gutter, sidewalk or ditch.
- There shall be no open burning or campfires within one thousand (1,000) feet of any school while school is in session.
- No open burning is allowed within 1400 feet of the Village of New Haven or the City of New Baltimore.
- Open Burning must not create a health hazard or a visibility hazard on roadways, railways, or airfields.
All permit holders shall be fully responsible for containing such open burning and shall assume any and all civil and/or criminal liabilities which may result from a failure to contain such fire.
Violation & Penalties
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction, be subject to shall be punished by a fine and costs of prosecution, or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each act of violation and every day upon which any such violation shall occur shall constitute a new and separate offense.
Any person who ignites an open fire causing the township fire department or any other fire department to respond to an alarm shall reimburse those departments for all costs and charges incurred as a consequence thereof; and civil proceedings against the person may be instituted to recover such costs and expenses.
Assistance Completing Forms
& Questions
Residents served by the Chesterfield Township Fire Department having questions or needing assistance in filling out forms should call the Chesterfield Township Fire Department at 586-725-2233.
Recent amendments to the Chesterfield Township Ordinance in regard to Open Burning can be found here: https://www.ecode360.com/documents/CH3504/public/496416504.pdf
If burning violates any of the rules above, your permit to burn may be revoked by the Fire Chief or his designee until such a time as you can demonstrate compliance with these rules.
Permits are only valid for the date requested on your permit. Subsequent burning without a permit is a violation of these rules.
By completing the following form, I request authorization to start or cause to be started a fire upon land under my control at the specified address.
The Spring 2025 Open Burning Season Will Begin Apr. 1st