Fall Open Burning Season
Open burning for fall 2014 begins Monday, November 3, 2014, and runs through Sunday
November 23, 2014. Open burning dates are approved by the Chief of the Enforcement
Section of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Open burning is permitted on these days within the City of St. Joseph under the
following guidelines:

 Burning for yard waste of residential properties only.
 Burning allowed between 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
 All fires must be in an upright cylindrical metal container with a volume equal
to no more than 55 gallons. Containers must be located at least fifteen (15)
feet away from any building. Only one burn container per residence is
allowed.
 All fires shall be monitored from a point on the property where the fire is
located, by a person capable of containing a fire, should containment become
necessary.
 ONLY dry yard waste such as leaves, brush and logs grown on the property
can be burned. NO trash, paper, lumber or building debris may be burned.
 Fire-fighting material, including but not limited to, a garden hose or a
container of water sufficient to contain any fire started shall be at the site of
the fire.
 If weather conditions such as high winds indicate the safety of the
community or the public may be endangered or if open burning may create a
health hazard, the Fire Chief or Health Director may invoke a temporary
burning ban.

Any violation of the open burning restrictions may result in a summons to appear in
court for a misdemeanor violation.
Residents are encouraged to explore alternatives to open burning. Many options for
disposing of yard waste are easy, do not contribute to air pollution, are not dependent
on time restrictions or the weather, and provide the healthy benefit of physical activity
while doing yard work instead of breathing acrid smoke from a waste fire. Such activities
include mowing leaves into fine particles and leaving them to fertilize the lawn, or
incorporating leaves into garden mulch. Larger wood brush can be chipped into mulch.
If you choose to burn, plan to do so within the days provided, as open burning session
will not be extended due to weather blackout dates.