A Lebanon PA burn ban is a temporary countywide prohibition on outdoor burning that the Board of Commissioners enacts when drought conditions raise wildfire risk. When one is active, you cannot burn yard waste, trash, or anything in a burn barrel anywhere in the county, and violations carry fines up to $300. Whether a ban is in effect right now changes with the weather, so the first step is checking, not guessing.
How to Check if a Ban Is Active Right Now
The Lebanon County Department of Emergency Services maintains a burn ban page at lcdes.org that is updated whenever the commissioners pass or lift a resolution. The Pennsylvania DCNR also publishes a statewide County Burn Bans Map showing active bans across every county. If either source is unclear, call the Lebanon County Department of Emergency Services at 717-272-7621.
By law, the county must give at least 48 hours’ notice before a burn ban takes effect, so a ban never appears without warning.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Statutes Title 16 P.S. Counties 13201 – Authorization Local news and fire companies typically announce it as well. Once enacted, a ban lasts up to 30 days and can be extended once for another 30 days if the district forester recommends it.
What a Burn Ban Prohibits
A county burn ban covers all outdoor burning, defined broadly as lighting any combustible material on fire outside. Under an active ban you cannot burn:2Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Burn Bans
- Yard waste such as leaves, grass clippings, twigs, or brush piles
- Household trash, paper, or cardboard
- Land-clearing debris from construction or property maintenance
- Anything in a burn barrel; burn barrels are explicitly included, not treated as exempt enclosed containers
The ban applies equally to residential and commercial properties, rural and suburban, and the size of the fire is irrelevant. A backyard fire pit, a farm brush pile, and a ceremonial bonfire at a church all fall under the same restriction until the commissioners formally lift the resolution.
What’s Still Allowed During a Ban
A county-level ban does not cover every flame. Propane and natural gas stoves are unrestricted, charcoal briquette grills remain permitted, and tobacco smoking is not covered by a county ban.2Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Burn Bans
Common sense still applies. A charcoal grill on a wooden deck surrounded by dry leaves during extreme drought is technically legal under the ban, but you can still be liable if the fire escapes and damages someone else’s property.
One boundary to keep in mind: a statewide burn ban issued by the Governor is stricter than a county ban and prohibits tobacco smoking within woodlands or within 200 feet of woodlands. If both are active at once, the stricter rule controls.
Penalties for Violating the Ban
Any sworn police officer in Lebanon County, including Pennsylvania State Police, can enforce the ban. If your municipality has its own open burning ordinance, an officer can cite under either the county resolution or the local ordinance, but not both for the same fire.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Statutes Title 16 P.S. Counties 13203 – Enforcement
Violating a burn ban is a summary offense, the lowest level of criminal infraction in Pennsylvania. Maximum fines escalate with repeat violations:
- First offense: up to $100
- Second offense: up to $200
- Third offense: up to $300
These are ceilings, not flat amounts, and court costs are added on top.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Statutes Title 16 P.S. Counties 13204 – Penalty A summary conviction goes on your criminal record and shows up on background checks. You can seek expungement, but only after five years with no arrests and after all fines and court costs are paid. If you were under 18 at the time of the offense, the waiting period drops to six months after turning 18 and paying your fines.
The fine is only the criminal exposure. If your illegal fire escapes and damages a neighbor’s property or injures someone, civil liability is separate and has no statutory cap.
Rules That Apply Even Without a Ban
No active burn ban does not mean anything goes. Two other layers of Pennsylvania law restrict open burning year-round.
State Forest Lands
On state forest lands, fires in fire rings and fireplaces are prohibited every year from March 1 through May 25, which is spring wildfire season. The same prohibition kicks in anytime DCNR rates forest-fire danger as high, very high, or extreme, regardless of the date.2Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Burn Bans
DEP Air Quality Regulations
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulates open burning year-round under 25 Pa. Code § 129.14. In designated air basins, open burning is flatly prohibited. Outside air basins, you can burn only if the smoke stays invisible beyond your property line, creates no detectable odor off your property, and doesn’t harm health, vegetation, or the enjoyment of neighboring properties. Exceptions exist for domestic refuse at single- or two-family homes, recreational or ceremonial fires, cooking fires, and certain agricultural burning.5Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. 25 Pa. Code 129.14 – Open Burning Operations
In practice, even on a calm day with no ban in place, you still cannot burn construction debris, treated lumber, plastics, or anything that sends visible smoke across your property line.