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Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Burkholder
Building
10700 Page Avenue
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Telephone: 703-246-4849, FAX:
703-246-4872
TTY: 703-385-4419 |
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Code Compliance Guideline
June 2007
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This publication outlines the requirements and limitations
for recreational fires within Fairfax County and the towns
of Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna. This publication does
not address bonfires, controlled
buring, chimineas,
outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, & similar devices,
or barbecue grills.
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A recreational fire is an outdoor fire
burning materials other than refuse
for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth,
or similar purposes where the fuel burned is not contained
in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill,
or barbeque pit, and has a total fuel area of 3 feet or
less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height. Furthermore,
the burning of materials wherein products of combustion
are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing
through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber is
classified as open burning. A recreational fire is a form
of open burning.
Note: A Fire Prevention Code Permit
(FPCP) is not required for a recreational fire.
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| A)
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Location. Recreational fires
shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or
combustible material. Conditions which could cause a fire
to spread within 25 feet of a structure shall be eliminated
prior to ignition.
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| B)
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Attendance. Recreational fires
shall be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished.
A minimum of one portable fire extinguisher with a minimum
4-A rating or other approved on-site fire-extinguishing
equipment, such as dirt, sand, water barrel, garden hose
or water truck, shall be available for immediate utilization.
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| C)
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Allowable Fuels. Only seasoned
dry firewood or similar clean burning materials shall
be permitted as fuel for recreational fires. Land clearing
waste and/or refuse
shall not be used as a fuel for a recreational fire.
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| D)
| Fuel Quantity Limitation.
A recreational fire shall have a total fuel area no greater
than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height.
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| E)
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Extinguishment. (Code of Virginia,
10.1-1142-D). Any person who builds a fire in the open
air, or uses a fire built by another in the open air,
within 150 feet of any woodland, brushland or field containing
dry grass or other inflammable material, shall totally
extinguish the fire before leaving the area and shall
not leave the fire unattended.
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Precautions. (Code of Virginia,
10.1-1142-A). It shall be unlawful for any owner or lessee
of land to set fire to, or to procure another to set fire
to, any woods, brush, logs, leaves, grass, debris, or
other inflammable material upon such land unless he previously
has taken all reasonable care and precaution, by having
cut and piled the same or carefully cleared around the
same, to prevent the spread of such fire to lands other
than those owned or leased by him. It shall also be unlawful
for any employee of any such owner or lessee of land to
set fire to or to procure another to set fire to any woods,
brush, logs, leaves, grass, debris, or other inflammable
material, upon such land unless he has taken similar precautions
to prevent the spread of such fire to any other land.
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Other Property. No person shall
kindle nor authorize to be kindled nor maintain any recreational
fire in such a manner that will endanger the property
of another.
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Hazardous Materials. Combustible
and flammable liquids shall not be used to aid the ignition
of any recreational fire. Furthermore, the application,
dispensing, or use of a combustible or flammable liquid,
or any other hazardous material, upon or into the fuel
used in any open burning operation including a controlled
burn, bonfire, or recreational fire shall be considered
an unauthorized release of a hazardous material and is
strictly prohibited.
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| A)
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Prohibited Open Burning. In accordance
with the Fire Prevention Code, the Fire Marshal may order
the extinguishment of a recreational fire because of one
or more of the following hazardous situations:
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Unattended Fires |
| 2. |
Unprotected/Uncontained
Fires Deemed Capable of Spreading |
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Inadequate Fire Extinguishing
Materials/Equipment |
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Combustible Exposure Hazards |
| 5. |
Inappropriate or Hazardous
Materials Used As Fuel |
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Air Contaminants, Smoke,
or Other Materials Which May Cause a Traffic Hazard. |
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| B)
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Spring Wildfire Season (4pm Law).
(Code of Virginia, 10.1-1142-B). During the period February
15 through April 30 of each year it shall be unlawful,
in any county or city or portion thereof organized for
forest fire control under the direction of the State Forester,
for any person to set fire to, or to procure another to
set fire to, any brush, leaves, grass, debris or field
containing dry grass or other inflammable material capable
of spreading fire, located in or within 300 feet of any
woodland, brushland, or field containing dry grass or
other inflammable material, except between the hours of
4:00 p.m. and midnight. During spring wildfire season,
you are allowed to burn between 4 p.m. and midnight as
long as you take proper care and precaution and attend
your fire at all times. For additional information on
the burn resrictions, including current fire information,
please visit the Virginina
Department of Forestry online.
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Air Quality/Air Pollution Alert.
Recreational fires are not prohibited, but are discouraged
when the Air Quality Index
(AQI) is greater than 150 ("Unhealthy" or
"Code Red"). For more information on air quality
in the Washington DC metropolitin area, visit the Air
Quality Forcast section of the Metropolitan Washington
Council of Governments (COG) online.
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Refuse. The burning of refuse
shall be prohibited. Refuse shall mean and include garbage,
rubbish, and trade waste defined as follows:
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Garbage shall mean animal and vegetable
matter such as that originating in houses, kitchens,
restaurants and hotels, produce markets, food service
or processing establishments, greenhouses, and hospitals,
clinics or veterinary facilities. |
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Rubbish shall mean solids not considered
to be highly flammable or explosive such as, but not
limited to, rags, old clothes, leather, rubber, carpets,
wood, excelsior, paper, ashes, tree branches, yard
trimmings, furniture, metal food containers, glass,
crockery, masonry, and other similar materials. |
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Trade waste shall mean all
solid or liquid material resulting from construction,
building operations, or the prosecution of any business,
trade or industry such as, but not limited to, plastic
products, cinders and other forms of solid or liquid
waste materials.
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Materials Producing Dense Smoke. The burning of
tires, asphaltic materials, automobile bodies, used crankcase
oil, impregnated wood or similar materials which produce
dense smoke shall be prohibited.
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Fairfax County is committed to a policy
of nondiscrimination in all county programs, services and activities and will
provide this document in alternative formats and in different languages upon
request. Please call 703-246-4753 (TTY: 711 or 1-800-828-1140) or write: Office of the
Fire Marshal, Fire Prevention Division, 10700 Page Avenue, Fairfax, VA
22030. Please allow at least seven working days for preparation of material.
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