Charleston, WV (WOAY) – The West Virginia Division of Forestry wants to remind everyone about the states burning regulations.
Friday, March 1, 2025, marks the return of spring burning restrictions in the mountain state. Residents are only allowed to burn outdoors between the hours of 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. according to the West Virginia State Code Chapter 20-3-5.
State Forester Jeremy Jones says, “Since January 1 we have responded to 95 fires that have burned approximately 389.1 acres.
According to a press release from the West Virginia Department of Commerce the burning restrictions are statewide and will remain in effect until the close of the spring fire season on May 31. The burning guidelines can be found on The Division of Forestry at website at wvforestry.com/fire-laws.
Regulations include:
- All fires must have a safety strip.
- The safety strip itself must be cleared of burnable material and be at least 10 feet wide.
- Fire must be attended until completely extinguished.
- Only vegetative materials such as leaves, brush and yard clippings are permitted to be burnt.
- Spark-throwing machinery such as power shovels or sawmills operating on land subject to fire must contain an adequate spark arrestor.
- Inflammable waste disposal areas must annually remove all grass, brush, debris, and other inflammable material adjacent to disposal areas to provide adequate protection, preventing the escape of fire to adjacent lands.
A permit is required for commercial burning for each burning site during the prohibited period which are issued by local WVDOF offices.
Fires caused by any person or company on any grass or forest land must reimburse the state for costs to fight the fire. The penalty for forest fires caused by negligence ranges from $100 to $1,000 with an additional civil penalty of $200.
