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Sunbury council discusses stricter outdoor-burning rules; proposes commercial-grade fire‑pit requirement
Summary
Following multiple backyard fires and smoke investigations, council members discussed revising Chapter 53 to require commercially manufactured outdoor fire pits and considered adding a burn ban item to the agenda; further work and a resolution were promised.
Sunbury council members and staff discussed several recent outdoor-burning incidents at the March 10 meeting and considered changes to the city’s outdoor-burning rules, including an amendment to Chapter 53 requiring commercially manufactured outdoor fireplaces and fire pits.
A fire department update recounted multiple incidents in recent weeks that required department response. A speaker summarized several cases: a backyard burn that spread to a yard and resulted in a vehicle fire, a downed fence on South River Avenue, and numerous smoke investigations that the department attributed to residents not following burn rules. The speaker said the department had responded “probably 15 to 20” smoke or burn incidents recently.
Council members debated whether to add a burn-ban agenda item for the remainder of the dry season and discussed revising the city ordinance definition for approved outdoor fire pits to specify they must be commercially manufactured and specifically designed for recreational fires. One council member moved to amend Chapter 53, section 53‑11(b), to add: “the fire pits have to be commercially manufactured for said purpose.”
Council members did not adopt a final ordinance change at the meeting. Instead, they indicated staff and the council would revisit the matter and bring draft language and options to a future meeting or work session for further consideration.
The discussion focused on public-safety concerns and clarifying which types of devices are allowed under the code; no final regulatory action or vote to adopt the amendment was recorded in the meeting transcript.
