Canton City
Public Health
Amanda Archer, MPH
Health Commissioner
Air Pollution Control
Terri Dzienis
APC Director
CONTACT US
330-489-3231
330-489-3335 fax
Hours: Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
(Excluding holidays)
Office Address
Canton City Public Health
420 Market Avenue, North
Canton, OH 44702
Click here to learn more about open burning from Courtney’s March 2019 interview on WHBC!
Open Burning
Open burning is unhealthy for communities. It may be illegal and subject to monetary fines. Here is how open burning hurts communities:
- Burning of any kind of material produces very small solid particles. These particles are a form of air pollution and are unhealthy for everyone and particularly harmful to those citizens with emphysema, allergies, or other breathing difficulties.
- Burning of rubber or plastic generates not only very small particles, but also toxic chemicals.
- Elderly people and small children are particularly at risk from the air pollution produced by open burning.
- The smoke and odor from open burning are unpleasant and take away everyone’s enjoyment of the outdoors.
- The smoke and odor from open burning can enter nearby homes and aggravate breathing-related medical conditions for the occupants.
Open burning for recreational fires such as cooking and campfire fires ARE allowed by the Ohio EPA. Here are Ohio EPA’s rules for these fires:
- Fires are fueled with clean seasoned firewood, natural gas or equivalent, or any clean burning fuel with emissions that are equivalent to or lower than those created from the burning of seasoned firewood.
- Fires are not used for waste disposal purposes.
- Fires shall have a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height.
Please be aware that some local communities have additional restrictions on recreational fires. Regulations and forms for the City of Canton can be found at: https://www.cantonohio.gov/faq.aspx?qid=174. Residents outside the Canton City limits should check with their local government or fire department before starting outdoor fires.
In special cases, open burning may be permitted for other reasons including high school bonfires, small fires for fire extinguisher training, larger fires for firefighter training and disposal of agricultural waste. Interested parties should contact the Canton City Public Health, Air Pollution Control Division for more information.
The complete Ohio EPA regulations can be found here:
Citizens may report illegal open burning by calling 330-489-3231 and pressing 7 or submitting electronically through the city-wide service request system by clicking here. If requested, callers may remain anonymous.
