Key facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Wood fire pit or fire ring on a mandatory no-burn day | Not allowed (open burning may not occur) |
| Wood stove or fireplace on a mandatory no-burn day | Not allowed, with limited exemptions in R307-302 |
| Covered counties | Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah, Weber |
| Usual season | November 1 to March 1, but can be called any time |
| Elevation exemption | No-burn periods do not apply above 7,000 feet in covered counties |
| Where to check | air.utah.gov or the UtahAir app |
Sources: Utah DEQ, Mandatory No Burn Days; Utah DAQ forecast legend; Utah Administrative Code R307-302; U.S. Drought Monitor, Utah. Checked October 24, 2026.
What a mandatory no-burn day bans
The Division of Air Quality publishes action levels with its daily forecast. Under a mandatory action, solid fuel burning devices must not be used, which includes wood and coal stoves and fireplaces, and open burning may not occur, which DAQ spells out as including fire pits, fire rings and campfires. That wording matters: a backyard fire pit is not treated as a cooking appliance or a decorative feature exempt from the rule. If the forecast shows a mandatory action for your county, a wood fire in the yard is off for the day.
Where and when it applies
DEQ lists seven counties under the no-burn regulations: Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah and Weber. That covers the Wasatch Front from Brigham City to Provo and Cache Valley around Logan. No-burn days are typically called from November 1 to March 1, when temperature inversions trap fine particulate pollution in the valleys, but DEQ says they may be called at any time. Southern Utah counties such as Washington and Iron are not on the list, though local fire departments set their own rules there.
The rule behind it: R307-302
Utah Administrative Code R307-302 governs solid fuel burning in the covered counties. It defines a solid fuel burning device to include fireplaces, wood stoves and boilers burning wood, coal or other nongaseous fuel, whether indoors or outdoors. Its no-burn period section does not apply above 7,000 feet in those counties, so some canyon and mountain homes fall outside it, and it contains an exemption for homes where a solid fuel device is the sole source of heat. That heating exemption does not cover a recreational fire pit.
Worked example: a Friday fire in Sandy
A family in Sandy, in Salt Lake County, plans a fire pit evening on a Friday in mid December. On Wednesday, DAQ's three day forecast shows a voluntary action for Friday, rising to mandatory by Thursday's update as an inversion settles. On Friday the wood fire is off. The options are a propane fire table, which runs on gas rather than solid fuel, or waiting for a storm to clear the inversion. If they owned a cabin above 7,000 feet up Big Cottonwood Canyon, still in Salt Lake County, R307-302's no-burn periods would not apply there, but local fire rules still would.
Drought adds summer limits
The October 20, 2026 U.S. Drought Monitor showed 91.3% of Utah in moderate drought or worse, 61.9% in severe drought or worse and 13.6% in extreme drought. In summer and fall, counties, the state and federal land managers can add fire restrictions that apply on top of DAQ's air quality rules, especially in foothill neighborhoods with dry grass and oak brush. Between inversion season and fire season, Wasatch Front homeowners have the clearest windows for a wood fire in spring and mid fall.
Choosing a fire pit for the Wasatch Front
Because no-burn days land in the coldest months, many Utah buyers pair a wood pit for spring and fall with a gas option for winter. A smokeless steel pit like the Breeo X Series cuts smoke on legal burn days, but smokeless designs still burn wood and are covered by the no-burn rule. A cooking fire pit such as the Arteflame Classic 40 is still a wood fire. See our wood vs gas vs smokeless comparison before deciding.
Related guides
- Fire pit rules in Denver, Salt Lake City, Reno and Austin
- Wood vs gas vs smokeless fire pit
- How far a fire pit must be from a house
- Why a propane fire pit won't stay lit
- Kentucky fire hazard seasons and Louisville fire pit rules
- Fire pit rules in Boise, Albuquerque and three Plains cities
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a fire pit on a Utah mandatory no-burn day?
No. Utah DAQ's forecast legend says that under a mandatory action, open burning may not occur, including fire pits, fire rings and campfires, and solid fuel burning devices must not be used.
Which Utah counties have mandatory no-burn days?
Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, Utah and Weber counties, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
When does Utah call no-burn days?
Typically from November 1 to March 1, during winter inversions, but DEQ says they may be called at any time.
Does the no-burn rule apply in the mountains or in Park City?
R307-302's no-burn periods do not apply above 7,000 feet within the covered counties, such as high canyon cabins in Salt Lake County. Park City is in Summit County, which is not on DEQ's list. Local fire restrictions still apply in both.
Is a propane fire pit allowed on a no-burn day?
The rules are written around wood, coal and other solid fuels, so gas fire pits are generally outside them. Read the current DAQ wording and any local fire restriction before relying on that.
Where do I check today's burn status in Utah?
On air.utah.gov or the UtahAir app, which show the action forecast for each covered county.
Is Utah in drought this fall?
Yes. The October 20, 2026 U.S. Drought Monitor showed 91.3% of Utah in moderate drought or worse and 61.9% in severe drought or worse.
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