PORTSMOUTH, Ohio — The Scioto County Emergency Management Agency is reminding residents that Ohio’s annual fall restrictions on open burning took effect Oct. 1 and remain in place through the end of November, prohibiting most outdoor burning during daylight hours.
Under Ohio Revised Code 1503.18, open burning is banned in unincorporated areas of the state from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, with limited exceptions. The code falls under the authority of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry, while the Ohio EPA separately regulates open burning under the Ohio Administrative Code, according to Scioto County EMA.
The restriction applies to areas outside of cities, towns and villages, and local governments or fire departments may impose additional burning rules on top of the state requirements, the agency said. Residents who start a fire that causes damage can be held liable for the resulting costs.
The fall ban mirrors a similar restriction every spring, when dry, dormant vegetation combined with wind and low humidity raises the risk that a routine debris fire escapes and spreads into a larger wildfire.
Scioto County EMA encouraged residents to consider alternatives to burning yard waste, such as composting, and urged anyone who does have a legal fire outside the restricted hours to keep it attended and fully extinguish it before leaving the area.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Scioto County Emergency Management Agency.
