{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/10.1-1158.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/10.1-1158.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/10.1-1158.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/10.1-1158.html"}],"law_id":345455,"edition_id":2,"section_id":345455,"structure_id":49607,"section_number":"10.1-1158","catch_line":"Prohibition of all open burning where serious fire hazards exist; penalty","history":"1986, c. 188, \u00a7 27-54.5; 1988, c. 891.","full_text":"It shall be unlawful when the forestlands, brushlands and fields in this Commonwealth or any part thereof have become so dry as to create a serious fire hazard endangering lives and property, for any persons to do any open burning nearer than 300 feet from any such forestlands, brushlands or fields containing dry grass or other flammable material.\n\nThis article shall not be effective until the Governor, upon recommendation of the State Forester, proclaims such a condition to exist in this Commonwealth or any part thereof, and it shall be in effect until the Governor proclaims such condition to have terminated.\n\nIt shall be the duty of all authorized law-enforcement officers of the Commonwealth, counties, and municipalities to enforce the provisions of this section.\n\nAny person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor for each separate offense.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1287892,"text":"It shall be unlawful when the forestlands, brushlands and fields in this Commonwealth or any part thereof have become so dry as to create a serious fire hazard endangering lives and property, for any persons to do any open burning nearer than 300 feet from any such forestlands, brushlands or fields containing dry grass or other flammable material.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1287893,"text":"This article shall not be effective until the Governor, upon recommendation of the State Forester, proclaims such a condition to exist in this Commonwealth or any part thereof, and it shall be in effect until the Governor proclaims such condition to have terminated.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1287894,"text":"It shall be the duty of all authorized law-enforcement officers of the Commonwealth, counties, and municipalities to enforce the provisions of this section.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"3":{"id":1287895,"text":"Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor for each separate offense.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":49607,"edition_id":2,"name":"Fire Hazards and Closing of Hunting and Fishing Seasons in Forestlands","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":9,"parent_id":49596,"metadata":{"child_laws":4,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:12:16","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:52","permalink":{"id":1372283,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49607,"identifier":"8","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8","url":"\/10.1\/II\/11\/8\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49596,"edition_id":2,"name":"Forest Resources and the Department of Forestry","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":49595,"metadata":{"child_laws":116,"child_structures":16},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:12:05","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:51","permalink":{"id":1371837,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49596,"identifier":"11","token":"10.1\/II\/11","url":"\/10.1\/II\/11\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49595,"edition_id":2,"name":"Activities Administered by Other Entities","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":2,"parent_id":49584,"metadata":{"child_laws":483,"child_structures":70},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:12:05","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:51","permalink":{"id":1371835,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49595,"identifier":"II","token":"10.1\/II","url":"\/10.1\/II\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":49584,"edition_id":2,"name":"Conservation","identifier":"10.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":38,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":886,"child_structures":125},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:11:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:44","permalink":{"id":1370315,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":49584,"identifier":"10.1","token":"10.1","url":"\/10.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":345455,"structure_id":49607,"section_number":"10.1-1158","catch_line":"Prohibition of all open burning where serious fire hazards exist; penalty","url":"\/10.1-1158\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8\/10.1-1158","metadata":false},{"id":345456,"structure_id":49607,"section_number":"10.1-1159","catch_line":"Upon proclamation of Governor certain acts made unlawful where extraordinary fire hazards exist; closing of hunting and fishing seasons","url":"\/10.1-1159\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8\/10.1-1159","metadata":false},{"id":345458,"structure_id":49607,"section_number":"10.1-1160","catch_line":"Effect of proclamation on hunting season","url":"\/10.1-1160\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8\/10.1-1160","metadata":false},{"id":345459,"structure_id":49607,"section_number":"10.1-1161","catch_line":"Notice of issuance, amendment or rescission of proclamation","url":"\/10.1-1161\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8\/10.1-1161","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":345456,"structure_id":49607,"section_number":"10.1-1159","catch_line":"Upon proclamation of Governor certain acts made unlawful where extraordinary fire hazards exist; closing of hunting and fishing seasons","url":"\/10.1-1159\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8\/10.1-1159","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/10.1-1158\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1986. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 188 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1986 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1988, chapter 891.<\/p>","references":[{"id":345458,"section_number":"10.1-1160","catch_line":"Effect of proclamation on hunting season","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1160\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1372285,"object_type":"law","relational_id":345455,"identifier":"10.1-1158","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8\/10.1-1158","url":"\/10.1-1158\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/10.1-1158\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/8\/10.1-1158","dublin_core":{"Title":"Prohibition of all open burning where serious fire hazards exist; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 10.1-1158","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be unlawful when the forestlands, brushlands and fields in this Commonwealth or any part thereof have become so dry as to create a serious fire hazard endangering lives and property, for any persons to do any open burning nearer than 300 feet from any such forestlands, brushlands or fields containing dry grass or other flammable material<\/span>.<\/p>

This article shall not be effective until the Governor, upon recommendation of the State Forester, proclaims such a condition to exist in this Commonwealth or any part thereof, and it shall be in effect until the Governor proclaims such condition to have terminated.<\/p>

It shall be the duty of all authorized law<\/span>-enforcement officers of the Commonwealth, counties, and municipalities to enforce the provisions of this section.<\/p>

Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor<\/span> for each separate offense<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROHIBITION OF ALL OPEN BURNING WHERE SERIOUS FIRE HAZARDS EXIST; PENALTY (\u00a7\n10.1-1158)\n\nIt shall be unlawful when the forestlands, brushlands and fields in this\nCommonwealth or any part thereof have become so dry as to create a serious fire\nhazard endangering lives and property, for any persons to do any open burning\nnearer than 300 feet from any such forestlands, brushlands or fields containing\ndry grass or other flammable material.\n\nThis article shall not be effective until the Governor, upon recommendation of\nthe State Forester, proclaims such a condition to exist in this Commonwealth or\nany part thereof, and it shall be in effect until the Governor proclaims such\ncondition to have terminated.\n\nIt shall be the duty of all authorized law-enforcement officers of the\nCommonwealth, counties, and municipalities to enforce the provisions of this\nsection.\n\nAny person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3\nmisdemeanor for each separate offense.\n\nHISTORY: 1986, c. 188, \u00a7 27-54.5; 1988, c. 891.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}