Pennsylvania-Specific Information

Pennsylvania regulates open burning through a combination of state law (the Air Pollution Control Act), PA DEP regulations, and local municipal ordinances. The rules vary depending on what you're burning, where you live, and what time of year it is.

Where the rules come from:

• Do not burn household trash. Paper, plastic, food waste, treated or painted wood, rubber and household refuse have no business on a burn pile. PA DEP cites an EPA finding that one household burn barrel can emit as much toxic chemical as a well-controlled municipal incinerator, and the model ordinance it publishes for municipalities keeps that material off the pile. Whether open burning of any kind is allowed where you live is set locally, so ask the township or the borough.
• Yard waste. Burning leaves, brush, and tree trimmings is regulated by your local municipality. Some allow it with restrictions; others ban it entirely. Always check with the township or the borough before burning.
• Wildfire season. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) puts the greatest wildfire danger in March, April and May, and again in October and November. The ground and vegetation are driest after snowmelt and before green-up, making this the highest-risk period for wildfires.
• Burn bans. During extended dry periods a burn ban may be in effect. Erie County can impose one, the Governor can issue a statewide proclamation, and DCNR restricts fires on state forest land. See how to burn a brush pile safely for who issues what and how to check.

If open burning is allowed in your municipality:

• Burn only natural, untreated vegetation (leaves, branches, brush).
• Keep the fire small and attended at all times.
• Have water or a fire extinguisher ready.
• Don't burn on windy days.
• Keep it well clear of buildings and fences, with nothing flammable in the first five feet out from a wall and nothing overhead.
• Fully extinguish the fire with water when done. Don't leave it to burn out on its own.

For more detail on recreational fires and fire pits, see our Burning & Fire Pits answer in the Seasonal section.

It depends on the building and when it was built. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code sets the requirements, and the UCC governs construction rather than existing homes.

What the law requires:

• New construction. Smoke alarms must be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home (including the basement). They must be hardwired with battery backup and interconnected so that when one sounds, they all sound.
• Existing homes. The state doesn't require you to retrofit one. The Construction Code Act excludes repairs to residential buildings, and excludes alterations that don't change the structure or the means of egress. A renovation big enough to touch either of those brings the code with it. Your municipality can require more than the state does, so check locally.
• Rental properties. What applies depends on the building and on local code, and many municipalities adopt a property maintenance code that covers this. Ask the township or the borough, and read your lease. Whatever the rule, don't disable an alarm, and tell your landlord in writing if one is missing or broken.
• Carbon monoxide alarms. Pennsylvania's Carbon Monoxide Alarm Standards Act requires an approved CO alarm in each apartment in a multifamily dwelling that has a fossil fuel-burning heater or appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage. It must be centrally located, in the vicinity of the bedrooms and the appliance or fireplace. In rentals the owner installs it and makes sure the batteries work when a new tenant moves in; the tenant maintains it while living there.
• Selling a house? Under the same act, the seller of a residential building must disclose information about CO detectors on the property disclosure statement. That's a disclosure, not an inspection or a certificate.
• For a single-family home you own, the state doesn't mandate CO alarms the way it does for apartments, but every fuel-burning appliance produces carbon monoxide, and you can't detect it without an alarm. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends one on every level and outside each sleeping area. Check with the township or the borough, which can set stricter rules than the state.

Best practice (beyond minimum law):

• Install smoke alarms inside every bedroom, not just outside sleeping areas.
• Use interconnected alarms (hardwired or wireless) so all alarms sound together.
• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years (check the manufacture date on the back).
• Test monthly by pressing the test button.
• Replace batteries yearly, or use 10-year sealed-battery alarms to eliminate that task.

The minimum legal requirement isn't necessarily the safest setup. More alarms, properly placed and maintained, give you more time to escape.

Pennsylvania offers several incentives to recruit and keep volunteer firefighters, though what's available depends on your municipality.

Act 172, the property and earned income tax credits:

• Municipalities can choose to offer active volunteer firefighters and EMS volunteers a credit against their property tax, their earned income tax, or both. What it is worth is set by the municipality, so ask the township or the borough what they have adopted.
• To qualify, you must meet an activity threshold set by your fire department (typically a minimum number of calls, trainings, and meetings per year).
• Important: This is optional for municipalities. Not all of them participate. Ask the township or the borough whether they have adopted Act 172.

LOSAP, the Length of Service Award Program:

• LOSAP works like a pension plan for active volunteers. The municipality pays into individual accounts for qualified volunteers, payable at retirement age (typically 60 or 65).
• Like Act 172, participation is optional for the municipality and depends on local budgets and decisions.

Other potential benefits:

• A one-time line-of-duty death benefit for a surviving spouse, minor children or parents under PA Act 101, the Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act
• Workers' compensation coverage while responding to calls and training

Ask us what's been adopted here when you get in touch about joining.

In Pennsylvania, volunteer firefighters may equip one personal vehicle with up to two flashing or revolving blue lights, for use when responding to an emergency call. The same permission covers ambulance crews, certified volunteer search and rescue members, and handlers of dogs used in tracking.

What it means:

• When you see a vehicle with a flashing blue light, it's a volunteer firefighter or volunteer ambulance member responding to an emergency. They're trying to get to the fire station or directly to the scene.
• The blue light is a courtesy light. It is not the same as the red lights and sirens on a fire truck, police car, or ambulance. Blue light vehicles are not authorized to run red lights, drive on the wrong side of the road, or exceed the speed limit.

What you should do:

• You're not legally required to yield to a blue light in Pennsylvania. It's a request, not a demand.
• That said, if you can safely move over or let them pass, please do. The person behind you is trying to get to someone's emergency, and every second counts. A volunteer who gets to the station faster means a truck leaves faster.

Rules for blue light users:

• One vehicle only, no more than two blue lights on it, and only while actively responding to an emergency call.
• The volunteer must obey all traffic laws, including speed limits and traffic signals.
• The light must be turned off when not responding to a call.
• Misuse of a blue light (using it to avoid traffic, etc.) is a violation of PA law.

In rural areas like McKean, volunteers may be driving several miles from home or work to reach the station. Letting a blue light pass can make a real difference in response time.