Fire Pit Rules in Chicago, Dallas and North Las Vegas (2026)

Not legal or electrical advice. This guide summarizes published manuals, codes and agency pages as of the date above. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Confirm your plans with a licensed electrician or contractor and your local building department before you buy or install.

Key facts

City	Permit	Fuel rules	When fires stop
Chicago, IL	None listed for recreational or cooking fires	Propane, natural gas, charcoal, manufactured logs, clean dry untreated firewood up to 2 ft; newspaper only to start	Winds averaging 15 mph or more; Commissioner may order out
Dallas, TX	DFC 105.6.32 open or recreational fire permit, $155	No pallets, lumber, garbage, rubber or petroleum products (county list)	County burn ban, winds over 15 mph, Ozone Action Days (county no burn days)
North Las Vegas, NV	No LP gas permit for R 3 homes; bonfires prohibited	No trash, treated wood or yard waste (Burn Wise)	Stage 1 wood and charcoal ban from May 29, 2026 until rescinded

Sources: City of Chicago, rules for campfire, recreational and cooking fires; Dallas Fire Rescue, activities requiring a fire permit; Dallas Fire Rescue, open flame cooking devices; Dallas County Fire Marshal, outdoor burning; North Las Vegas fire code amendments to the 2024 IFC; Clark County Stage 1 fire restrictions release; Nevada Fire Info, restrictions and closures; Clark County Burn Wise; Las Vegas Fire and Rescue barbecue and fireplace sheet. The Chicago and North Las Vegas documents block scripted requests, so we read them in a browser. Checked October 25, 2026.

Chicago: allowed, if the fuel and the wind are right

Read on its own, Chicago Municipal Code 11-4-740 sounds like a total ban: it makes it unlawful to burn wood, paper or other combustible material in open fires or metal containers. Several rule lookup sites stop there and tell readers a backyard wood pit is prohibited. The same section tells the Commissioner to apply the Illinois open burning rule at 35 IAC 237.120, and the city's published rules for legitimate campfire, recreational and cooking fires are what actually govern a backyard pit.

Those rules allow propane, natural gas, charcoal, manufactured logs, or clean, dry, untreated firewood no longer than 2 feet. Newspaper may be used only to start the fire. Plywood, particle board, scrap lumber, pallets and any kind of waste are out. No fire may burn when winds average 15 mph or more, and the Commissioner may order a fire extinguished if it breaks the rules or causes air pollution. For a two flat or bungalow lot, a smokeless steel pit and cut firewood under 2 feet keep you inside every line of that list.

Dallas: a fire permit and a balcony rule

Dallas Fire Rescue's list of activities requiring a fire permit includes, under Dallas Fire Code 105.6.32, an open fire, a recreational fire, or a fire on any public street, alley, road, or other public or private ground, with a fee of $155. Most fire pit articles about Dallas skip this line. Before you light a wood pit, call Fire Prevention at 214 670 4319 and ask whether your setup needs that permit; a gas pit or a cooking fire may be treated differently.

The department's open flame cooking device sheet covers grills and smokers under Dallas Fire Code 308.1.4: they may not be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. One and two family dwellings are excepted, but LP gas there is limited to 100 pounds aggregate, which the sheet counts as five containers. That matters if you keep spare tanks for a propane fire table and a grill.

Outside city limits, the Dallas County Fire Marshal explains how burn bans work: an emergency declaration on the recommendation of the County Fire Marshal, the Forest Service and the Weather Service, approved by the Commissioners Court and County Judge, with the Keetch Byram Drought Index as a guide. The county also lists no burn days when winds exceed 15 mph, on Ozone Action Days for Dallas Fort Worth, and during a county ban, and it bans burning petroleum products, asphaltic materials, rubber, lumber and household garbage. When we checked on October 25, 2026, the county page still carried an older ban notice and no current status, so we checked the statewide list the Texas A&M Forest Service compiles from county reports. Its list dated October 23, 2026 named 151 counties under a burn ban; Dallas County was not on it, though neighboring Ellis County was. Call 214 653 7970 before burning after a dry, windy stretch.

North Las Vegas: Stage 1, bonfires and propane

North Las Vegas adopted the 2024 International Fire Code with the Southern Nevada regional amendments, effective January 5, 2026. Amendment 307.4.1 prohibits bonfires. The open flame device rules in 308.1.11 exempt one and two family dwellings, and 308.1.11.5 keeps tiki torches 5 feet from combustibles. Amendment 105.5.30 says an LP gas operational permit is not required for Group R 3 occupancies, so a propane fire table at a house needs no fire department permit.

Wood is the harder question in 2026. A Clark County news release announced Stage 1 fire restrictions beginning May 29, 2026 and in effect until rescinded, with North Las Vegas Fire among the participating agencies along with Henderson, Las Vegas and Clark County. Stage 1 prohibits wood and charcoal fires except by permit or in developed campgrounds. Nevada Fire Info lists the BLM Southern Nevada District Stage 1 rescission as effective October 1, 2026, but it does not state the city's status, and we found no city notice either way. Call North Las Vegas Fire before lighting wood.

We could not read the city's own distance rules for recreational fires. The neighboring Las Vegas Fire and Rescue sheet sets 25 feet for open recreational fires and 15 feet for portable outdoor fireplaces from structures and combustibles; treat those as a guide and confirm with North Las Vegas Fire, since many rear yards in newer subdivisions cannot meet 15 feet. Clark County's Burn Wise program bars trash, treated wood and yard waste and asks residents to check the air quality forecast during winter inversions.

Picking a pit that works in all three

Propane is the simplest fit: it is an allowed fuel in Chicago, needs no LP permit at a North Las Vegas house, and avoids the wood questions in Dallas County during dry spells. If you want wood, a smokeless pit in the Breeo X Series runs from 22 to 46 inches across; a smaller bowl leaves more room to meet setbacks on narrow lots. Our wood vs gas vs smokeless guide compares the options, and the propane run time guide shows what a tank lasts.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Are backyard fire pits legal in Chicago?

Yes, for legitimate campfire, recreational and cooking fires. Chicago's open burning ban in MCC 11-4-740 points to the Illinois rule at 35 IAC 237.120, and the city's rules allow propane, natural gas, charcoal, manufactured logs and clean, dry, untreated firewood no longer than 2 feet.

When can't I use a fire pit in Chicago?

When winds average 15 mph or more. The Commissioner may also order a fire put out if it breaks the rules or causes air pollution.

Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Dallas?

Dallas Fire Rescue's list of activities requiring a fire permit includes an open fire or recreational fire on public or private ground under Dallas Fire Code 105.6.32, with a $155 fee. Call Fire Prevention at 214 670 4319 to confirm what applies to your pit.

Is there a Dallas County burn ban right now?

Dallas County was not on the Texas A&M Forest Service county burn ban list dated October 23, 2026, which named 151 Texas counties (checked October 25, 2026). The county's own Fire Marshal page shows no current status, and county officials set bans, so call 214 653 7970 before burning outside city limits.

Can I use a gas grill on my Dallas apartment balcony?

Dallas Fire Code 308.1.4 bars open flame cooking devices on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. One and two family homes are excepted, with LP gas limited to 100 pounds aggregate, about five containers.

Are wood fire pits allowed in North Las Vegas?

North Las Vegas Fire joined the Clark County Stage 1 fire restrictions that began May 29, 2026 until rescinded, which prohibit wood and charcoal fires except by permit or in developed campgrounds. The federal Stage 1 order was rescinded October 1, 2026, but we found no notice of the city's status, so call North Las Vegas Fire before lighting wood.

Does a propane fire pit need a permit in North Las Vegas?

Not at a detached home or duplex. The city's fire code amendment 105.5.30 says an LP gas operational permit is not required for Group R 3 occupancies.

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Backyard fire pit rules in Chicago, Dallas and North Las Vegas