Is It Against The Law To Burn Trash In An Iowa Bonfire?

I remember a time when almost all Iowa farms had a 'burning barrel' to dispose of household trash. Is that even legal today?

Today you have to be much more responsible when getting rid of your home garbage.

The days of just setting fire to a stack of cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, newspapers, old tires, and other garbage on your Iowa property are gone.

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Iowa State Rules say it is prohibited to burn items that can be locally recycled.

Common household trash such as synthetics, plastics, metals, and packaging release potent chemicals when burned.

Even common paper products such as junk mail, cardboard, newsprint, and magazines contain chemical dyes, coatings, pigments, and chlorine.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that some Iowans have received a big fine for burning stuff.

• James Whistler, of Van Wert in south-central Iowa, was fined $5,000 for illegally accumulating and burning numerous tires, vehicles, and other waste.
• Mike Pope, of Clear Lake in north-central Iowa, was fined $3,000 for burning an old house and corn crib north of the city.
• Thomas Stevenson, of Maquoketa in eastern Iowa, was fined $4,500 for using tires to accelerate a tree-debris fire on his property

So if you are going to be starting an outdoor fire in Iowa you better stick to leaf piles and fire pits!