G1. Bonfires
In principle, bonfires are not prohibited in Berlin. There are only bans in certain areas, such as in landscape conservation areas or in the forest. In residential areas, bonfires can certainly be operated with the necessary care. In the state of Berlin, no permit is required for these fires on one's own property or with the consent of the property owner. If the distance to the forest is less than 100 m, a permit according to §19 of the State Forest Act must be obtained from the Berlin Forests .
When operating a bonfire, especially when lighting it, but also in unfavourable weather conditions or when using insufficiently dried wood, experience has shown that smoke is produced - at least temporarily - and the resulting odours. The neighbourhood must not be significantly inconvenienced by this. In determining the term "considerable", it is not the subjective perception of the neighbouring persons that counts, but the Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft) serves as the basis for assessment. According to this, a harmful environmental impact in the sense of immission control law exists if the odour nuisance lasts more than 10 % of the annual hours (876 hours/year) in residential and mixed areas or more than 15 % of the annual hours (1,314 hours/year) in commercial and industrial areas. As a rule, these values are not exceeded, so that the occasional, proper operation of a bonfire does not constitute a violation of immission control regulations.
In principle, open fires may only be operated outdoors in such a way that they do not pose a threat to public safety and order. This means that the neighbourhood or the general public must not be endangered or significantly inconvenienced.
As a rule, this is not to be expected if the following requirements are met.
What to consider when burning a fire outdoors
- The fireplace is only operated occasionally.
- Only permissible fuels may be used. Admissible fuel for open fireplaces (so-called small firing systems (Kleinfeuerungsanlagen)) is only seasoned (at least 2 years), natural, lumpy wood or pressed wood in the form of wood briquettes.
- The height and diameter of a fuel pile should not exceed one metre.
- Neighbours must not be significantly inconvenienced by smoke and odours.
- A sufficient distance of at least 50 m to combustible materials such as buildings with soft roofing (reed and thatched roofs) and to buildings made of predominantly combustible building materials (e.g. wooden houses).
- Use commercially available lighters for lighting, never petrol or alcohol (risk of deflagration).
Further information on burning a bonfire from the point of view of fire protection has been compiled by the Berlin fire brigade . In addition, there is very clear and detailed information on the subject of bonfires on the website of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf Environment and Nature Conservation Office..
The burning of unauthorised materials (waste) is prohibited
Anyone who burns materials such as scrap wood, window frames, construction and demolition timber, fences, poles or other waste is in breach of the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act (KrWG). Such violations can also be prosecuted as a criminal offence, depending on the extent.
Das Burning garden waste such as leaves, lawn, shrub or tree cuttings, etc. is also an inadmissible form of disposal, has therefore been banned in Berlin all year round since 1993 and can at least be punished as an administrative offence under the Closed Substance Cycle Waste Management Act. The ban is a contribution to keeping Berlin's air clean. Garden waste is to be disposed of properly via the organic waste bin/leaf bags or recycled on your own compost heap. In the event of justified complaints or reports from citizens, fires for the disposal of garden waste as well as other waste will be prohibited. The person causing the fire will be fined.
Only seasoned, well-dried (approx. 2 years) and untreated wood or purchased firewood (e.g. wood briquettes) may be burned.
The following applies in principle
Waste may only be treated for the purpose of disposal in waste disposal facilities approved for this purpose. This is the only way to ensure that the flue gases are sufficiently freed from pollutants and that the remaining residues are disposed of properly.
Furthermore, the following should be noted
When burning bonfires, the relevant provisions of forestry law, private law (e.g. house rules, allotment garden rules, etc.) and compliance with conditions relevant to fire protection must be observed in particular, such as:
- Anyone who lights or operates a bonfire is responsible for the consequences in the event of fire damage.
- An adult supervisor must be present at all times.
- The bonfire must not pose an immediate fire hazard to the surrounding area. If necessary, the fireplace shall be enclosed with non-combustible materials to prevent the risk of uncontrolled spread.
- Sufficient and suitable extinguishing agents or extinguishing equipment must be kept available in the area of the bonfire to eliminate the spread of fire.These can be; buckets with water, connected garden water hoses, suitable fire extinguishers etc.
- If the surrounding area is affected by smoke development, the bonfire must be extinguished.
The bonfire can be extinguished by the fire brigade against the will of the person supervising it if:
- The police so directs and the supervising person is unable to extinguish the fire himsel
- Buildings or parts of buildings are at risk.
- Residents are inconvenienced by smoke.
- In the event of a breach of the restrictions on inversion weather conditions (SMOG).
G2. Pyrotechnics
Fireworks categories
General
For all categories, applicable laws must be complied with, storage quantities must be observed and the manufacturer's instructions must be followed. For some categories, such as T1 or P1, additional conditions of use apply.
Category F1 - Smallest fireworks
Category 1 fireworks pose a very low hazard and have a sound level that is negligible. There are also no pure firecrackers in this category, apart from firecrackers. The maximum sound level of these articles is 120 dB at a distance of one metre.
Category 1 articles may be freely purchased from the age of 12 and used throughout the year. These include firecrackers, party firecrackers, floor fireworks, table fireworks, ice fountains, sparklers and many more.
Category F2 - Small fireworks
This category usually includes the classic New Year's Eve fireworks and these articles are intended for outdoor use only. Category 2 articles may be purchased from the age of 18, in the period from 28 - 31 December and may be used on New Year's Eve. For special occasions, it is possible to apply for an exception at the responsible public order office.
See below: Exception application for category F2 small fireworks
Category F3 - Medium fireworks
Category 3 plays a subordinate role in Germany, as private individuals over the age of 18 may only purchase and use them if they are in possession of a permit according to §7 and/or §27 of the Explosives Act, or have a certificate of competence according to §20 of the Explosives Act. For pyrotechnicians, this class is quite interesting, as the safety distance is usually at least 15 metres less than for category 4 articles. Read here what you have to do to order F3 fireworks from us.
Please note the permissible storage quantities when placing your order. In some cases, restrictions are also stored in your permit, which you must observe.
Category 4 - Large fireworks
Category 4 includes fireworks that pose a great danger and may only be used by persons with a certificate of competence. These include the classic cylinder and ball bombs, as well as large rockets and batteries. As with category 3, a permit in accordance with §7, §27 or a certificate of competence in accordance with §20 is required to purchase and/or use them. The minimum age for category 4 is 21 years!
Category T1
Pyrotechnic articles that present a low level of danger and may be freely purchased from the age of 18 and used for technical purposes throughout the year. Technical purposes are e.g. stage shows, film or photo shoots, show events, simulations and much more.
Category T2
E.g. model rocket drive sets
Category P1
Category P1 includes pyrotechnic articles that are not classified as fireworks or are approved for stage and theatre use. These include, among others, igniters, smoke generators, sound generators and other technical articles. P1 articles may be purchased from the age of 18 and used for the specified purpose.
The following applies to all categories: The manufacturer's instructions must be followed!
Exception application for category F2 small fireworks
You have the possibility to apply for an exception to this regulation for special occasions at your responsible regulatory authority. Special occasions can be, for example, a wedding, round birthdays, but also company events, festivities and club celebrations for which you would like to set off private fireworks.
Submit an application via our Application Assistant and send it to the responsible public order office at least 4-5 weeks before your festivity. The public order office will check your application and send you a corresponding decision.
With the positive decision, you then have the possibility to order fireworks during the year for the event applied for and to burn them off within the approved period.
For an order, suppliers need a copy of the decision of the authority as well as proof of age (e.g. copy of the identity card).
Link: Pyrotechnics information sheet (Berlin Fire Brigade)
Link: Explosives Act
Link: Situation Fire Information Sheet (Umweltportal Berlin)
Link: Situation Fire Information Sheet (Berlin Fire Brigade)