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OPEN BURNING STATUS: 4 PM BURN LAWS IN EFFECT February 15, 2026, thru Midnight, April 30, 2026 Open Burning is regulated by the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF), with respective permissions, exceptions, or prohibitions enforced locally by the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office (LCFR-FMO) as identified in Section 307 of the Loudoun County Fire Prevention Code (LCFPC). While the VDOF outlines three distinct timeframes related to open burning, the LCFR-FMO may further restrict or prohibit open burning at any time based upon complaint(s), atmospheric conditions, or other environmental circumstances, where open burning may otherwise be permitted according to these timeframes. Burning is always prohibited in the town limits of Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill, or in urban or built-up areas throughout Loudoun County and the Town of Leesburg. ALLOWABLE OPEN BURNING: • February 15 through midnight April 30 • 4 PM Burn Laws in Effect • Open air fires are prohibited between midnight and 4 PM. • Legally set fires, those started between 4 PM and midnight, can smolder between midnight and 4 PM provided they are appropriately attended with means for extinguishment, and no additional fuel is added during this timeframe (§10.1-1142, Code of Virginia and section 307.1 of the Loudoun County Fire Prevention Code). Violations and Penalty: Violations of the requirements on open burning may result in a conviction as a Class 1 Misdemeanor (confinement in jail for not more than 12 months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both). In addition, the party responsible may be held liable for all damages and the costs of firefighting operations (§10.1-1142, Code of Virginia and section 307.1 of the LCFPC). You can find our open burning regulations by visiting www.loudoun.gov/820/Open-Burning. Subject: Open Burning Regulations – February 15 thru Midnight, April 30, 2026 Page 2 of 3 Date of Issue: 02/13/26 Legally set, open burning is subject to all local regulations, specifically: • Fires must be reported to the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center (ECC) at 703-777-0637 before ignition and when the fire is out. • Fires shall always be attended by competent person(s) 18 yrs. of age or older, with provisions for control and extinguishment available. • If, at any time, the fire is not attended and/or a means of extinguishment is not immediately available, it must be fully extinguished by the person(s) responsible for the burning. • Campfires, no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height and used for cooking purposes are exempt from these prohibitions, provided they are no closer than 50 feet from a structure. • For bonfires, provided they consist of seasoned wood, piled neatly, no more than 5 feet in diameter by 5 feet in height, the burning may be no closer than 50 feet from a structure. • Portable outdoor fireplaces are exempt from these prohibitions and shall be used in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications. • Limited to the burning of leaves and trees, brush, yard, and garden trimmings, which have been generated on site. • The burning may be no closer than 50 feet from a structure and pose no hazards to a roadway. • For agricultural purposes, such as clearing a field or fence row, the items being burned must be grown or generated on site. Items may not be hauled or brought into a property to be burned. The burning may be no closer than 1,000 feet from an occupied structure and may not pose a hazard to highways and airfields. • The burning of construction debris, plastics, tires, tar-based materials, oil or petroleum-based products, hazardous materials, chemicals, animal carcasses and similar materials or waste is prohibited Countywide (towns included). DEVELOPMENT-RELATED BURNING • All land clearing (pit burn) operations by contractors or landowners for development purposes shall be approved by the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board. Burning of trees, stumps and brush will likely require a permit from the LCFR-FMO and the State Air Pollution Control Board. • Warming barrels at a construction site shall be approved by the LCFR-FMO. As approved, burning must be of clean lumber, done in a barrel or similar container that is screened or covered to prevent flying embers and may be no closer than 15 feet from a structure. Questions can be directed to the LCFR-FMO at 703-737-8600 or to the On-Duty Fire Marshal. ... See MoreSee Less

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