Could you help clarify the rules on burning (fire pits, chimenea-types, etc.) within city limits?
According to the Wilmington Code of Ordinances, it is illegal to burn leaves, brush, shrubs, tree limbs or trash on public or private property without a permit from the fire department. The code doesn’t apply to the use of open-flame cooking devices, such as grills. But it does apply to the fire pits and chimaneas you can buy at any home improvement store. That said, however, while the fire department doesn’t advocate the use of those devices, it also doesn’t go out looking to cite people for using them. As long as they’re operated safely — a couple pieces of wood, not a bonfire — and neighbors don’t complain about smoke or other effects, the fire department’s probably not going to have a problem with it, said Battalion Chief Herman Born. And if the fire department does come knocking, if you’re cooperative, you’ll probably get a warning for a first offense, he said. With repeat offenses, you might not be so lucky.
