Key facts
| City | Who sets the rule | Pit type | Distance | Size or fuel | No fire days | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | Columbus Division of Fire; Ohio EPA; Ohio Fire Code | Commercial pit with screen top or chimney, or homemade to the same standard | 15 ft from combustible structures; apartments may require 25 ft; gas pits 15 ft (state rule) | Clean seasoned firewood; Ohio EPA fuel area 3 ft across by 2 ft high | Air Quality Alert days | Fire Prevention Bureau 614.645.7641 |
| Milwaukee, WI | Ordinance 214-9 | Metal, concrete or brick, covered or screened against embers | 15 ft from any combustible structure; grills at 1 and 2 family homes exempt | Not set in the ordinance summary | Not set in the ordinance summary | Development Center 414-286-8210 |
| Louisville, KY | Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District | Commercially made portable pit used per instructions, or permanent pit of or lined with brick, rock, concrete or heavy gauge metal; no barrels | Not set by APCD | Clean, dry firewood; fire up to 3 x 3 x 3 ft without permit, 5 x 5 x 5 ft with free permit | Air Quality Alerts; winds over 15 mph | APCD 502-574-6000 |
| Kansas City, MO | Fire code (2018 IFC as amended, Chapter 26) | Recreational fire or portable outdoor fireplace | 25 ft open fires; 15 ft portable outdoor fireplaces | No rubbish or yard waste; recreational fire fuel area 3 ft across, 2 ft high | Fire chief may order fires out for hazardous or objectionable smoke | Code questions 816-513-1511 |
Sources: Columbus Division of Fire, Open Burning Guidelines; Ohio Administrative Code 1301:7-7-03 (effective November 20, 2025); Ohio EPA, recreational fires; Milwaukee City Clerk, ordinance FAQ; Milwaukee DNS permit checklist; Louisville APCD, Recreational Fires FAQ; Kansas City Fire Code 2018; Kansas City permit exempt work. All checked October 25, 2026.
Columbus: the screen is mandatory
The Columbus Division of Fire treats a backyard fire pit as a recreational fire and is specific about the device: a commercial fire pit with a screen top or chimney, or a homemade pit that meets the same standard. Burn only clean, seasoned firewood, keep water or an extinguisher nearby, supervise the fire at all times, and keep the flames contained. The pit must be at least 15 feet from any combustible structure, and the city notes that apartment buildings may require 25 feet. Any other open burning needs a permit, and no recreational fire is allowed on an Air Quality Alert day. Questions go to the Fire Prevention Bureau at 614.645.7641.
State rules layer on top. Ohio EPA allows recreational fires using clean seasoned firewood or natural gas, not for waste disposal, with a fuel area no more than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high. Ohio's fire code rule 1301:7-7-03, effective November 20, 2025 and based on the 2021 International Fire Code, requires gas fired recreational fire pits to sit 15 feet from structures or combustibles and lets the State Fire Marshal prohibit recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces in dangerous conditions. Ohio's seasonal daytime burn ban applies only outside cities, towns and villages, so it does not govern a Columbus backyard.
Milwaukee: 15 feet, and the 50 foot rule that never passed
The Milwaukee City Clerk's ordinance FAQ summarizes Ordinance 214-9: backyard fire pits are allowed if they are built of metal, concrete or brick, well covered or screened to prevent the escape of sparking and burning embers, and at least 15 feet from any combustible structure. Charcoal and gas grills at one and two family homes are exempt from the 15 foot rule. That exemption is for grills; a propane fire table is built for a fire, so the safe reading is to give it the same 15 feet.
If you have read that Milwaukee requires 50 feet, that was file 120655, which would also have set fines of $50 to $500. The City Clerk records that it was placed on file on October 15, 2013, meaning it was not adopted. On narrow Milwaukee lots with alley garages, 15 feet is often the binding constraint: measure to the garage, fence and deck before you buy.
Louisville: an air district, a fire size, and a wind speed
Louisville's rules come from the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District. Without a permit, you may burn clean, dry firewood in an approved fire pit with a fire no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet; APCD says the pit itself must be sized so that only a fire within that limit can be burned. A free APCD recreational fire permit allows up to 5 by 5 by 5 feet, valid only at the address it was issued for. Call 502-574-6000 and ask for the Compliance Section.
An approved pit is either a commercially manufactured portable pit assembled and used per the maker's instructions, or a permanent pit built of or completely lined with noncombustible material such as brick, rock, concrete or heavy gauge metal. APCD says most commercial pits are acceptable but constructed pits may not be, so check with its compliance officers if you build one. Barrels are banned. So are trash, plastic, grass and tree trimmings, brush, treated or painted wood and construction debris. All fires, even permitted ones, are illegal during an Air Quality Alert or when winds exceed 15 mph. Cooking fires sized to the food are allowed; fires just to keep warm while working outside are not.
Kansas City, Missouri: the fire code decides
Kansas City regulates backyard fire through its fire code, the 2018 International Fire Code as adopted and amended in Chapter 26 of the city code. Section 307.4.2 keeps recreational fires 25 feet from structures or combustible material. Section 307.4.3 keeps portable outdoor fireplaces 15 feet away and requires use per the maker's instructions. The code defines a recreational fire as an outdoor fire not in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, portable outdoor fireplace or barbecue, with a total fuel area of 3 feet or less across and 2 feet or less high, and a portable outdoor fireplace as a portable, solid fuel burning fireplace of steel, concrete, clay or other noncombustible material. A manufactured steel pit on legs fits the second definition, which is a practical reason to buy one on a small lot.
Section 307.5 requires constant attendance until the fire is out, with a portable extinguisher of at least a 4-A rating or other approved on site equipment such as a garden hose ready for use. Rubbish and yard waste may not be burned, and the fire chief can order a recreational fire put out if it creates a hazard or objectionable smoke. Code questions go to 816-513-1511 or codequestions@kcmo.org.
One pit, four cities
Take a Breeo X30, 34.5 inches outside diameter, or an Ohio Flame Liberty in its 24 to 36 inch sizes. In Columbus it needs a screen top and 15 feet. In Milwaukee, the same: metal satisfies the material rule, the screen satisfies the cover rule, and it sits 15 feet from the garage. In Louisville it is a commercially made pit with a fire well under 3 by 3 by 3 feet, so no permit, but not on an Air Quality Alert day or a day with wind over 15 mph. In Kansas City it is a portable outdoor fireplace at 15 feet, with a 4-A extinguisher or a garden hose ready. A propane table like the Real Flame Neven, 65,000 BTU, still gets 15 feet under Ohio's state rule.
Related guides
- Fire pit rules in Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix and Sacramento
- Fire pit rules in Chicago, Dallas and North Las Vegas
- Fire pit rules in Denver, Salt Lake City, Reno and Austin
- How far should a fire pit be from the house?
- Wood vs gas vs smokeless fire pits
Frequently asked questions
How far from the house must a fire pit be in Columbus, Milwaukee, Louisville and Kansas City?
Columbus: 15 feet from any combustible structure, and apartment buildings may require 25. Milwaukee: 15 feet from any combustible structure under Ordinance 214-9. Kansas City, Missouri: 25 feet for an open recreational fire, 15 feet for a portable outdoor fireplace. Louisville's Air Pollution Control District rules set fire size and pit type rather than a distance; ask Louisville Fire for clearance questions.
Do I need a spark screen on a fire pit in Columbus or Milwaukee?
Columbus requires a commercial fire pit with a screen top or chimney, or a homemade pit built to the same standard. Milwaukee requires pits of metal, concrete or brick that are well covered or screened to prevent the escape of sparks and embers.
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire in Louisville?
Not for clean, dry firewood in an approved fire pit with a fire no larger than 3 by 3 by 3 feet. A free APCD permit allows up to 5 by 5 by 5 feet; call 502-574-6000 and ask for the Compliance Section.
Is Milwaukee's fire pit distance 50 feet?
No. File 120655, which would have raised the distance to 50 feet with $50 to $500 fines, was placed on file on October 15, 2013 and not adopted. Ordinance 214-9's 15 feet still applies.
Can I use a fire pit on an Air Quality Alert day?
Not in Columbus, which bans recreational fires on Air Quality Alert days, and not in Louisville, where APCD makes all fires illegal during an Air Quality Alert or when winds exceed 15 mph. Ohio EPA also prohibits open burning during air pollution alerts.
What fire extinguisher do I need for a fire pit in Kansas City?
Kansas City's fire code requires the fire to be constantly attended, with a portable extinguisher of at least a 4-A rating or other approved on site equipment such as a garden hose ready for use.
Does a propane fire table get the same distance as a wood fire pit in Ohio?
Yes for gas fired recreational fire pits: Ohio's fire code rule 1301:7-7-03, effective November 20, 2025, requires 15 feet from structures or combustibles.
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