Smoke and bonfires

Bonfires and smoke pollution

You should only ever burn green waste on a bonfire. If possible, please take your green waste to a recycling centre before you consider burning it on a bonfire. You can also sign up for our garden waste collection service.

Items you must NOT burn include:

• household waste
• rubber, tyres, or plastic
• treated wood or timber
• cans or bottles
• anything that will produce dark and/or toxic smoke

Bonfires are covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990. To count as a statutory nuisance they have to be frequent, consistent, unreasonable and affecting you in your home. We would not usually consider a one-off bonfire to be a nuisance.

Report a smoke nuisance

To avoid complaints, warn your neighbours when you plan to have a bonfire. Be considerate. Check neighbours’ windows are closed, and they do not have any washing out to dry.

Try to avoid bonfires on weekends and bank holidays when people are more likely to be in their gardens, especially in warmer months.

Please take extra care to ensure your bonfire is safe during heatwaves and/or dry weather.

For advice on how to manage a bonfire, visit Hampshire Fire and Rescue's bonfire webpage.