State guides · Pennsylvania · DCNR and DEP
Pennsylvania burn rules: can you burn brush and leaves?
Who can ban burning in Pennsylvania, what the state’s open burning rule actually allows, and a live check for Red Flag Warnings and wind alerts at your address before you light a brush pile.
Rules here come from DCNR, DEP and the Pennsylvania Code, checked Nov. 12, 2026. County burn bans change week to week and aren’t in the live check, so always look at DCNR’s current county map and ask your township. Your address is not saved.
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A clear check isn’t permission to burn. County and township bans, and local burning hours, still apply.
Who can ban burning
A county burn ban is requested through the district forester after at least 10 fire chiefs, or half the county’s fire chiefs if that is fewer, ask for one. It lasts up to 30 days, and the commissioners can extend it 30 more. It covers burning in a barrel or on the ground, but not propane or gas stoves, charcoal grills or tobacco.
A statewide ban takes a Governor’s proclamation. It bans smoking, campfires and burning brush or debris in or within 200 feet of woodlands anywhere in Pennsylvania.
Municipalities can ban burning, require permits or set burning hours, and DCNR tells everyone to check with local authorities before burning. On state forest land, fires in rings and fireplaces are banned March 1 to May 25 and whenever fire danger is high or worse.
From DCNR, Burn Bans. Current county bans: DCNR county burn ban map (PDF).
What the state air rule allows
Open burning is allowed only if the smoke isn’t visible where it leaves your property, the odor doesn’t carry past your line, and it doesn’t interfere with neighbors, damage plants or property, or harm health. Central Pennsylvania, including Clinton, Centre, Lycoming and Union counties, is outside the air basins.
Open burning is banned except for the uses below. The 13 air basins are Allegheny County, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Erie, Harrisburg, Johnstown, Lancaster, Lower Beaver Valley, Monongahela Valley, Reading, Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Southeast Pennsylvania, Upper Beaver Valley and York, each defined by a list of municipalities.
| Fire | State rule |
|---|---|
| Recreation, ceremony or cooking | Allowed anywhere, subject to county and local bans. |
| Household refuse | Allowed at a home with one or two families, for waste from living there. Act 101 bars burning anything your municipality makes you recycle. |
| Farm fires | Allowed for producing farm crops on the farm itself. |
| Land clearing | Outside air basins, allowed until DEP gets a complaint or finds a problem; inside one, only in an air curtain destructor DEP approves in writing. Demolition waste and dirt-laden roots don’t count. |
| Fire training, hazard or pest control | Needs DEP approval. |
From 25 Pa. Code § 129.14, § 121.1 (air basin list) and DEP’s household open burning fact sheet.
Burn smart, landscape smarter
Debris burning is the No. 1 cause of wildfires in Pennsylvania, and most happen in March, April and May, before the trees leaf out. Danger rises again in the fall.
Burn small piles, keep a hose and a rake ready, stay with the fire until it is out cold, and skip dry, windy days.
DCNR says keep this zone free of anything that burns, including mulch, wood piles and dry plants. Stone or gravel beds work well here. Break up plantings from 5 to 30 feet, and thin trees and brush out to 100 feet.
From DCNR, Wildfire Prevention and DCNR wildfire data reported by the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Hauling firewood in or out? See firewood laws by state.
Questions
Can I burn brush in my yard in Pennsylvania?
Often, yes, but check three things first. State air rules allow open burning outside the 13 air basins as long as the smoke and odor don’t leave your property or bother neighbors (25 Pa. Code § 129.14). Your county may have a burn ban, and your township may ban or limit burning. Never burn during a Red Flag Warning.
Can I burn leaves in Pennsylvania?
Check your municipality first. DEP says that if your municipality must recycle under Act 101, it is illegal to burn the materials residents are required to recycle, and many townships ban leaf burning outright. Composting or curbside leaf collection, where offered, avoids the question.
Is there a burn ban in my county?
DCNR keeps a current map of county burn bans. A county ban is requested through the district forester after at least 10 fire chiefs, or half the fire chiefs in the county if that is fewer, ask for it. It lasts up to 30 days, and the county commissioners can extend it another 30.
Can I use my fire pit during a burn ban?
DCNR says county burn bans don’t cover propane or gas stoves, charcoal grills or tobacco, and allow campfires in fire rings at designated licensed campgrounds. A backyard wood fire isn’t on that list, so read your county’s order or ask the township before you light one.
Do I need a permit to burn in Pennsylvania?
The state air rule has no burn permit for a homeowner’s allowed fires, but many townships and boroughs require a permit, set burning hours or ban burning. Fires for firefighter training, hazard reduction or pest control need DEP approval.
Can I burn trash in a burn barrel in PA?
The state rule allows burning domestic refuse at a home with one or two families, but Act 101 bars burning anything your municipality makes you recycle, and many local ordinances ban burn barrels. DEP notes that one household burn barrel can put out as much toxic material as a well-controlled municipal incinerator.
What is a Red Flag Warning?
The National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning when critical fire weather is happening or about to happen, usually strong wind with low humidity and dry fuel. A Fire Weather Watch means those conditions are possible but not here yet. Don’t burn during either.
Sources: PA DCNR, Burn Bans (county bans under Act 1995-52, statewide bans, state forest rules, exemptions); DCNR county burn ban map (PDF); 25 Pa. Code § 129.14 (open burning operations); § 121.1 (air basins); PA DEP, Open Burning Information; PA DEP fact sheet, Air Pollution from Household Open Burning (Act 101); PA DCNR, Wildfire Prevention (Home Ignition Zone); NWS, Fire Weather Watches and Red Flag Warnings; NWS API (live alerts). Checked Nov. 12, 2026.
Muthler Landscaping & Construction · Lock Haven, PA
Rather not burn it?
We do yard cleanups, stone beds and grading across Clinton, Centre, Lycoming and Union counties, including a noncombustible stone strip around the house where mulch used to be.
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Muthler Landscaping & Construction LLC · 913 Bellefonte Ave, Lock Haven, PA 17745 · (570) 397-9800 · PA HIC #PA212584.
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Cite as: Muthler Landscaping & Construction, “Pennsylvania Burn Rules: Can You Burn Brush and Leaves?,” https://muthlerlandscaping.com/state-guides/pennsylvania/burn-rules/ (last checked November 12, 2026).
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