Outdoor Fireplace Restrictions

Burn Materials

• The type of fuel used in an outdoor fireplace may be restricted. For example, Ohio restricts the burning of rubber, grease, plastic, garbage and dead animals at all times. The city of Estero, Florida's fire rescue team points out that Florida State Fire Code prevents burning anything that produces an objectionable or offensive smoke or any type of waste or trash.

Local Permits

• Local city and county governments may require a permit to install certain types of outdoor fireplaces. A permanent, exterior, gas fireplace connected to a home's gas meter may require an inspection and permit for initial hook-up. The city and county of Broomfield, Colorado requires a permit application submitted to the Broomfield building division before beginning the installation of an outdoor, gas fireplace. Because the proper gas piping size is important to a safe installation, residents must also provide a scaled drawing of the property indicating the location of all gas appliances and the size, length and type of gas pipe being used.

Outdoor Fireplace Location

• Local restrictions may require citizens to follow basic safety rules when choosing a location for and operating their outdoor fireplace. Estero, Florida and Colorado Springs, Colorado both refer to responsible, reasonable and safe use of an outdoor fireplace when discussing local fire laws. Asking local fire officials for information on the safe use of an outdoor fireplace can help prevent a fire accident. According to the Estero Fire and Rescue website, outdoor fireplaces should be located at least 15 feet away from a building or structure and combustible materials, such as clothing, shoes, paper, cardboard and wood, should be kept at least 3 feet away from the fireplace at all times.

Seasonal Restrictions

• With the change of the seasons, communities across the U.S. post fire warnings and restrict the use of both indoor and outdoor fireplaces. Tracking local changes in restrictions can occur through nightly local news reports or via local news publications. Some communities may post changes on billboards or on local government websites. Restrictions may include banning the use of a fireplace during days of inversion, heavy cloud cover or drought.