← District of Columbia burn ban rules›Current Fire Restrictions
District of Columbia Current Fire Restrictions (2026)
Info: Open burning is prohibited in the District of Columbia year-round.
Open burning is prohibited in the District of Columbia year-round. Under the DC air-quality rules, 20 DCMR 604.1, open fires are banned outright, and 604.2 allows them only for a short list of purposes: an official duty performed by a public health or public safety officer after notifying the Mayor; preventing a fire hazard that cannot be abated another way; instruction of public firefighters supervised by a fire marshal; recreational purposes, including cooking food for people on premises that are not commercial; and warming construction or other workers with Salamander heaters or other devices the Mayor approves. That recreational and cooking exception is what makes ordinary backyard grilling lawful. There is no seasonal burn-ban system in DC — the prohibition is standing, and the section has not been amended since it took effect in 1985. The DC Fire Code adds two limits worth knowing: charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices may not be used on a balcony or within 10 feet of any building or combustible construction, except at detached single-family homes, where sprinklers protect the structure, or for approved natural-gas grills; and lighting, using or releasing an untethered sky lantern is prohibited.
Official source: dcregs.dc.gov →
Check the live restriction status: doee.dc.gov →
General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.
Current Fire Restrictions in states bordering District of Columbia
The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.
- MarylandInfo
Maryland's summer open-burning prohibition is OUT OF SEASON: under state air-quality regulation COMAR 26.11.07.03C, open burning is PROHIBITED June 1 through Aug 31 each year in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties and Baltimore City — and from September 1 through May 31 the local control officer may again issue open-burn permits there (COMAR 26.11.07.03B). …
Verified Oct 17, 2026 · Source: dnr.maryland.gov · Full Maryland rule →
- VirginiaInfo
No statewide burning restriction is in effect right now — Virginia's 4 PM Burning Law applies only Feb 15–Apr 30. During prolonged drought or elevated fire danger, individual localities may enact temporary local burn bans; current local status comes from your local government office, fire department or emergency management agency, and the Dept. of Forestry posts a Daily Fire Danger Rating during fire season. Always check with local officials before burning (VDOF Burning Restrictions page).
Verified Oct 16, 2026 · Source: dof.virginia.gov · Full Virginia rule →
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