Garden bonfires are legal on most domestic properties in the UK. No specific law prevents you from lighting one at any particular time or day, but this doesn't mean you can burn whatever you like without consequences.
If your council fails to respond to informal reports about a neighbour's bonfire nuisance, you may need to escalate the matter with our free Council Complaint Letter Builder.
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 sets boundaries about statutory nuisance, and bonfires creating excessive smoke or unpleasant fumes can breach these rules. The Clean Air Act 1993 also restricts burning certain materials. Local councils can issue abatement notices if your bonfire causes a statutory nuisance, regardless of when you light it. Check your local regulations before lighting one.
Timing and positioning
You could legally light a bonfire at midnight, but doing so would be inconsiderate. Daylight hours work best, finishing at least an hour before dusk. Early morning works well if there's little wind and neighbours don't have washing out. Avoid times when people might be having barbecues or sitting outside.
Position your bonfire well away from your house, neighbours' properties, fences, hedges and overhanging trees. Fires can spread quickly to what looks like harmless greenery covering dry wood underneath.
Think about wind direction: smoke tends to drift downhill on sloping gardens. Have easy access to water through a hosepipe or filled buckets. Never leave a bonfire unattended.
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Garden waste like dry leaves, small branches and plant trimmings are suitable for bonfires. Wet or green material creates much more smoke and will annoy neighbours unnecessarily.
Never burn rubber, plastic, painted wood or anything treated with chemicals. These produce toxic fumes and thick black smoke, and burning them could breach environmental protection laws. Household waste doesn't belong on bonfires either: most councils provide garden waste collection services, and much of what people used to burn can be composted instead.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Dealing with neighbours
A quick conversation with immediate neighbours prevents many problems. Let them know when you're planning a bonfire so they can bring in washing, close windows, or postpone outdoor activities. Unexpected bonfires cause the most irritation, particularly when someone has just hung out washing.
Keep your bonfire small and add material gradually rather than creating one enormous pile. This gives better control and produces less smoke. Avoid windy days altogether.
If a neighbour's bonfire causes you problems, start with a polite conversation. Explain the specific issue: smoke coming into your house, washing on the line, or wanting to enjoy your garden. If talking doesn't work, contact your local council's environmental health department.
Keep records of when problems occur, including dates, times, weather conditions and effects. Photos or video help demonstrate the issue. Councils may require evidence of nuisance before taking action.
Alternatives to bonfires
Before lighting any bonfire, consider whether you need one. Council garden waste collections handle most organic material, and home composting deals with suitable kitchen and garden waste. Some councils run community composting schemes or have household waste recycling centres accepting garden waste.
Some areas have restrictions during dry spells or high pollution periods, so check current conditions. Good relationships with neighbours are worth preserving: a bit of consideration helps ensure your bonfire doesn't become a source of ongoing conflict.
I’m concerned his going to cause a massive fire, and besides the trees our home would go up in flames, what can I do? Cant say anything he’s not very nice
The only other neighbour is frightened to upset him
But I’m really concerned now …
I don't know what to do. No one listens to us.
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Who do I report this to?
Any help would be appreciated.
Many thanks
So would you say that I was being a selfish prick just because I burn a few old tyres occasionally, just to get the bonfire going nicely ?
We have a very controlled fire occasionally, designed to quick-burn so it doesn't last any more than 45mins-1hr.
We do it late because it's the only time it's guaranteed that our neighbours have closed their windows and doors so the small amount of smoke doesn't affect them.
Number 21 eh ?
It's all in hand, no bother at all, your friendly neighbourhood vigilante will immediately deal with this atrocity!
SORRY ABOUT THE RANT
I had one tonight, a one off in an incinerator, just gone past 10.35pm, was gonna let the flames die down and he sprays me with water, says I need to show some respect as its 11pm and calls me a prick. The neighbour next to them is also complaining on Facebook but not one of them has decided to talk to me on fb or in person. Double standards? Hypocritical? Am I really a prick?
The next day my sons went out to use their trampoline and found holes in it where the sparks had melted it!
Spoke to them and they said if we replace the mat they will pay for it so we tried to get a new one. The mat for our trampoline was constantly out of stock and so 18 months later we decided because the boys use the trampoline a lot we would buy a new one and just charge them for the price of a new mat!
They haven't even offered the money and the trampoline has been up for over a week now.
After all of this I have noticed that there is a pile of wood in their garden including some old decking which has been either treated or varnished and it looks like they are planning on having another bonfire very soon!
I politely sent a message asking if that is what they were planning and said that burning treated or varnished wood gives off toxic fumes and they have completely ignored me!
I have asthma and do not want to be subjected to this smoke any time and also we have just put up our new trampoline and I really don't want it damaged again! Where do I stand with this as if it goes ahead it will cause damage again and we can't keep replacing things damaged by their fires|!
To my fence I’m so angry right now breathing in the fumes whole house stinks and I can’t even have my windows open during a hot night
Firstly with the bonfire is it a regular occurrence or a one off? If infrequent my advice would be to wait it out.
With regards to the weed most people who smoke are regular people to and have you actually tried speaking to them?
Your first action should always be to have that discussion about an issue before even researching/proceeding elsewhere. It’s easy to critique a situation from an outside perspective.
My neighbour seems to be a nonconformist, he's a law of his own, stinks of weed too.
Because of lockdown,and no one available to fix it,it remains blown down.
Our neighbour has decided,he wants it fixed regardless of the current situation,so has set a fire right next to our patio where we sit.
He threatened us verbally about a week ago,and has since set the fire,burning lots of household waste saying hes going to "smoke us out" until we get the fence replaced.
My 3 year old granddaughter lives with us,and cant play in the garden because of what hes doing.
I've reported his actions to Environmental health,but I'm wondering,should I involve the police as his actions are affecting our other neighbour,who has COPD?
Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated as our lives are being blighted by this idiot.
I have video evidence of his action.
I contacted the Environmental Health dept and showed them pictures and videos of the issue, they came to our home and saw (from our garden) for themselves the smoke issue, they went and advised the neighbours of the smoke issue but nothing has changed, they still burn, not caring about everyone else.
We got a reply via email from Environmental Health stating that their officers said at their visitor the smoke was “INTERMITTENT” so was not an issue, we asked how long it would take for the intermittent smoke/fumes to fill our sons bedroom but as yet they have not replied!
SURELY THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE?
The garden waste collection system in the borough is very good and at a reasonable cost for the year, a pint of beer or two cups of coffee a week.
Think of all the people who are extreemly sensitive due to health reasons to the smoke and have due consideration please.
Bromley council, please take action and make a decision on this.
The whole of common lane is white also with the smoke swirling alaround it’s spread to the council estate the brewery and to the private house there
It’s very bad how inconsiderate on a sat afternoon
.
I take my rubbish to the tip every week.
Some people will burn off at nighttime deliberatly to upset their neighbors
NOBODY has a right to interfere with other people breathing space
That's the point of being a neighbour, we all have to live next to each other, life is much nicer if you're friendly and respect others.
One or more of my neighbours have been burning junk for hours.
Councils have recycling centers in multiple locations, they do collections regularly.
The people that do it near my house drive and have the time to take their rubbish to the local tip, so why not do so?
Garden cuttings can all be composted very easily, make no nasty smell and actually put something back into the soil, which these inconsiderate morons end up buying from garden centers, rather than plan ahead and make their own, saving themselves some money.
It's just laziness and downright rude!
We have recycling bins which they could use. But they burn all the rubbish at home in those metal incinerator bins because they don't want to pay the council for commercial waste collection.
In summer it is unbearable when we have the stench of burning waste coming into our open windows.
There's no community spirit or accountability, the government needs to bring in new laws to tackle this.
Birmingham City Council are charging drivers with old diesel vehicles to drive in certain parts of the city centre because of pollution, if they really cared about pollution they'd ban those cars and make garden fires illegal!
He burns in in a small corner of his garden no more than 5 meters away from our back door above which are our children’s bedroom windows.
My question is due to the fact he is drinking taking drugs and letting his children play with the fire , who and how do I report this taking note his best mate works for leeds anti social behavior team
But you don't explain what that legislation is in relation to bonfires, if anything at all. You talk about "consideration" and "should" and "shouldn't", but what does the actual Law say? It seems to say nothing about garden bonfires.
In a comment, you talk about people being prosecuted for "breaching the law" but you already said there are no laws in relation to garden bonfires. I think there are laws inrelation to industrial strength bonfires and heavy industry smoke, but nothing stopping individuals having a bonfire 24/7 if they desire.
People who are that inconsiderate, by definition, do not respond to "polite requests" to refrain from their selfish behaviour. So if after repeatedly having your house filled with smoke in the summer, you call Environmental Health, what exactly are they going to do? What law has the "bonfire ever day" neighbour broken? Surely without a law there is nothing at all to stop them?
And that is the solution - there needs to be clear laws on this. Hours need to be stated. There is no reason to have a private garden bonfire after, say 9 pm. There should be a maximum duration, say 2 hours. There should be a legal maximum height etc. All of this would be easy to add to legislation and as society gets more greedy, selfish and inconsiderate as well as in Britain, highly overpopulated, would do so much to improve the quality of life.
We are unable to enjoy our garden because of it and have been suffering terribly from smoke odour in our home to the point the I felt suffocated by it last night. I now have no option but to close all of our windows, in this heat, because we are now acquiring a smoke smell throughout our home on our soft furnishings. Neither my husband or I smoke and we both have health issues, I am on beta blockers for my heart. The pit is situated at the bottom of his garden which is about 15metres from my back door. I can’t believe that this new trend can just be allowed to ruin people’s lives like this. He als had a wood fire burner put in at great expense as it is a new build gas centrally heated house and buys wood to burn on that.
The smell in my home is now upsetting me and my being overwhelmed by the smokey air in my bedroom last night is making me despair. What can I do about this? Can anyone advise me please, it’s now pretty unbareable.
Although to be fair there is hardly any smoke the fire creates awful fumes / smell.
This smell carries on right in to the night as the fire smoulders rather than actually burns.
This is done regularly once a fortnight, is this legal. She does leave a text to say she is having a bonfire the night before. But it still doesn't make it right does it?
Is there any thing we can do about it?
Is the burning of such items illegal and if so then what is the proper way to dispose of them?
Try selling/giving the logs to anyone with a wood burning stove
Ring the council and ask if they have or know of anyone who needs logs and can collect them
Employ the services of a tree surgeon etc
Advertise the logs on your local social media site
Just carry on and ignore your neighbours complaints until all the logs are burnt ;-)
I live in a house at the end of a street. I asked my next door neighbour if he had any objections to me having some bonfires. He was fine with it. Some 20 minutes after I started the bonfire, there was a man shouting from his back garden asking me to put it out - and he was about 50 yards away in the next street! I was burning only logs - no green leaves - just logs. There was no more smoke then would come from a barbecue.
He came to my house, gave me the usual "bonfires are illegal" business (not true). But as he was younger and bigger than me, and looked the type not to be argued with, I put the fire out as I didn't want to find my car damaged the next day. So I'm left with the logs.
They even never put the fire off when they go to bed.
I can't open the windows because of the smokes .
They even make noise too. I tried to talk to them but they did not do anything.Please help me, what can I do.Thank you
she gets some to bring the wood in to burn her rubbish
I made it politely clear it was the first time and I had checked the law and found I was in my rights, it was only wood and would take at tops a hour to burn out and I certainly didnt appreciate him giving me crap when unlike other households we dont have loud music, regular parties, let our dogs bark all hours or fires like other people in our street.
So bare in mind if your going to confront someone over a bonfire A if its their first one just be polite, B don't threaten them with legal action when it has no basis in actual law, C be tolerent don't tell them about how they should get rid of it another way for alot of people getting to the local tip is not a option, not everyone has a car, C rambling on about community spirit in a neighborhood known for having issues at one of the few good households is a bloody cheek, D dont march over with a attitude when you have no buisness butting in in someone elses property.
and it is making me cought all day and night there is no talking to him what can i do
I am just going to light a fire to burn a shrub which has been covered with a strange sort of cob webb,just in case it is infectious. I have checked all the neighbours, no washing out .I have also found wood worm in branches of an overhanging neighbours fir tree which I have cut back at his request. Do not want this in my house. Even with a degree in recycling I still think there is a place in this world for the lovely outdoors smell of a BONFIRE.
The ash also does wonders for my strawberry plants.
He was very rude and abusive to my husband.
A few neighbours came out someone had to call fire brigade to put fire out
We do not want this happening again
Plus not first time he has done this
I class my self as just being considerate to others.
Going back to bonfires, we have some inconsiderate ***** in a huge house over the field from us who used to light huge bellowing fires that smoked us all out, it's horrendous really, Windows clossed it still stinks your house out. Not to mention the environment that everyone including the government recons they care about so much about .
And why is it that when you get a cracking nice day, garentee some arse**** will light one up.
Shouting at him like a mad man seemed to work the last time.
Use the recycling centres like the rest of us have to!
Thanks
To sit in my garden I need to wear ear plugs. I'm seriously thinking of moving.
What can I do?
Nothing
I have a child with heart problems and advised to keep away from smoke bit hard to when a neighbour is belching it out. Dosent take much to inform neighbours so they can prepare.
He refused to stop because it was his "right", saying firemen and/or police had been out 12 times in the last six years and that what he was doing is legal. He did tell me that other people with respiratory problems had also asked him to stop. There are codes in Seattle allowing fires but prohibiting them if they fill neighbors houses with smoke or cause health problems. How can we get the police or fire department to enforce the code against nuisance burning?
Most of my family suffer with respiratory problems, (including our children), any kind of smoke causes difficulty breathing. Not everyone loves to inhale fumes from bonfires, and the disgusting smell lingers for hours!
When we moved here twenty years ago it was illegal to have bonfires. It was a smokeless zone to help the environment. Now, these laws have been relaxed, no doubt to help save council expenses rather than the environment.....and certain people are taking advantage!!
We now have to put up with screaming and yelling many children from the housing association estate 30 feet away playing all kinds of ball games causing is much annoyance.
Bonfires
From 1930 to 4 years ago there were no complaint from neighbours regarding any of our gardening activities. Now there are frequent complaints including complaints about our BBQ which we are now not allowed to enjoy through fear of upsetting the new comers.
Nimby you bet I am.
I am now 76 Yrs old so not long left to tolerate this new unbearable state of affairs.
Obviously there is no consideration from developers when attempting to make there fortune by being allowed to slap up houses where ever there is a postage stamp of land available.
Not allowed to have my hither to regular bonfire and enjoyment of our once quiet environment.
Pissed off
TF
A friend on the police force said dont bother calling as nothing they can do. i am so angry and frustrated that there is nothing i can do.
These days there should be laws against bonfires in close neighborhoods because people just aren't capable of common sense :-(
My neighbour was advised they were filling the house with smoke but they just said they had been told they could have a bonfire.
My home now stinks of smoke I suffer from pulmonry sarcoidosis with fibrosis of the lung and am badly asmatic and react to perfumes and smoke. I have complained to the eviromental health at our local council explaining we are now some damaged and they say nothing they can do even though I have explained my health status, the local housing officers have not returned calls or emails when I phoned them an adviser just said "vent your house" "call the fire brigade if you feel the fire is endangering the house".
I am now awaiting 6pm as my nieghbour has stated this is the time at which they can light a bonfire and they have an entire garage full of rubbish to burn.
where do I go from here?
There is no need to incinerate any garden or other waste in most residential areas, as the majority of this can either be composted or collected (for free) by your local council.
Burning wet or damp material will cause smoke and release harmful pollutants, including dioxins.
Any fire or incinerator should not be allowed to smoke, and particularly, not be left to smoulder. Nor should either be left unattended. The increased use of garden incinerators in urban areas is of particular concern.
Lighting a fire in the night can be problematic. Wind directions can change, or an inversion can occur. And neighbours cannot close windows, or block air vents, if they are asleep. Moreover, why should they have to?
It's not as though burning garden refuse is a noisy activity, so it's not likely to disturb anyone's sleep!
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