§ 46-107. Open burning.

(a)

Open burning that is offensive or objectionable because of smoke or odor emissions or when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous shall be prohibited.

(b)

Open burning of landscape waste and clean wood waste by contractors and/or developers shall be allowed with prior notification to the code official if the contractor or developer has obtained a permit for an air curtain destructor from the state Environmental Protection Agency and is operating in compliance with the requirements of the state Environmental Protection Agency.

(c)

Open burning shall not be utilized for waste disposal purposes, shall be of the minimum size for the intended purpose, and the fuel shall be chosen to minimize the generation and emission of air contaminants.

(1)

Burning of leaves, brush, and other landscape waste materials are specifically prohibited.

(2)

Bonfires (an outdoor fire utilized for ceremonial purposes) shall not be conducted within 50 feet of a structure or combustible material unless contained in a pit. Conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 50 feet of structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.

(3)

Recreational fires in approved containers shall not be less than 15 feet from a structure, or if outside of approved containers, shall be not less than 25 feet from a structure or combustible materials and shall have a pile size no more than three feet in diameter and two feet in height.

(d)

Controlled/prescribed fires.

(1)

Definition—A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a wildfire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement.

(2)

Prescribed fires are intentionally set and allowed to burn under a controlled set of conditions that define a fire prescription. Prescriptions are developed by experienced fire managers and ecologists who work together to create predictable fire characteristics that produce desired results.

(3)

Only those prescribed fires approved with appropriate permits by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and led by an IDNR certified fire manager will be allowed.

(4)

A permit issued by the fire department shall also be obtained. The permit application must include a copy of the IDNR prescribed burn permit, the name and contact number for the certified fire manager, the property owner's name and address, location of the prescribed burn with a map of the outside fire breaks, and proposed dates and times. Fires must be conducted only when temperature, humidity, and wind speed conditions are appropriate to ensure the fire burns hot enough to be effective, but not so much that it is difficult to control.

(Code 1978, § 1610.07; Ord. No. 4854-11-95, 11-7-1995; Ord. No. 5857-11-11, 11-15-2011; Ord. No. 6066-03-18, 3-6-2018)