Fire Regulations in Bethlehem, PA (2026)
5 verified fire regulations for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Bethlehem does not allow the backyard fire pits and bonfires most Pennsylvania fire codes permit under a 25-foot setback. Article 1501.05 rewrote IFC § 307.4.2 from a setback rule into a flat statement: recreational fires are prohibited, full stop, citywide. Homeowners are left with only manufacturer-approved portable outdoor fireplaces as an alternative.
Bethlehem Bans All Recreational Fires
Heavy RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1501.05 (amending IFC § 307.4.2)
(r) §307.4.2 of the IFC which presently reads as follows: 307.4.2 Recreational fires. Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet (7,620 mm) of a structure or combustible material. Conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet (7,620 mm) of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition. shall be amended to read as follows: 307.4.2 Recreational fires. Recreational...
Fireworks
Bethlehem bars anyone from igniting, discharging or launching consumer fireworks between 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM, and bans them outright on all city-owned property, under Codified Ordinances section 746.03. Violations run $50 to $1,000 and can include jail time.
Bethlehem Consumer Fireworks Hours and Ban
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem Section 746.03
746.03. IN GENERAL - RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF CONSUMER FIREWORKS. No person who owns, possesses or has control or supervision of consumer fireworks shall permit, make or cause the ignition, discharge or launch of such consumer fireworks within the City of Bethlehem between the hours of 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM, except that this Section shall not apply where the City of Bethlehem Fire Marshall or his d...
Outdoor Burning
Bethlehem enforces its own version of the fire code's open-burning rule: any fire kindled outdoors must stay at least 50 feet from a structure, with the fire prevented from spreading within that distance too. The city's amendment stripped the old small-pile exception, leaving only a fire-code-official-approved 25-foot reduction. The Bureau of Inspections' Fire Marshal enforces it under Article 1501.
Bethlehem's 50-Foot Open Burning Setback
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1501.05 (amending IFC § 307.4)
(q) §307.4 of the IFC which presently reads as follows: 307.4 Location. The location for open burning shall not be less than 50 feet (15,240 mm) from any structure, and provisions shall be made to prevent the fire from spreading to within 50 feet (15,240 mm) of any structure. Exceptions: 1. Fires in approved containers that are not less than 15 feet (4,572 mm) from a structure. 2. The minimum r...
Smoke Detectors
Bethlehem's day care facilities code requires a working smoke detector on every floor used by the facility, with an extra detector in any room used for sleeping. The rule sits inside the facilities standards of Article 1165, not a separate fire chapter, and is enforced by the Bureau of Health alongside the Fire Department.
Bethlehem Day Care Smoke Detector Rule
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1165.04(u)
A smoke detector shall be present and functioning on each floor of the building in use as a day care facility in activity areas. An additional smoke detector shall be in use in any room utilized for sleeping purposes. ... An operable fire extinguisher or extinguishing system shall be available in all day care facilities. Such extinguisher(s) shall be of a size and number recommended by the Fire...
Propane Storage
Bethlehem forbids storing liquefied petroleum gas in its most residential zoning districts entirely, and caps it at 2,000 gallons per installation everywhere else. Article 1501.05 rewrote IFC § 6104.2 to name the RR, RS, R-RC, RG, RT, RR-F and RR-T districts as off-limits for LP gas storage of any size, tightening the fire code's older, vaguer language.
Bethlehem Bars LP Gas Storage In Residential Zones
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1501.05 (amending IFC § 6104.2)
(oo) § 6104.2 of the IFC which presently reads as follows: Maximum capacity within established limits. Within the limits established by law restricting the storage of liquefied petroleum gas for the protection of heavily populated or congested areas, the aggregate capacity of any one installation shall not exceed a water capacity of 2,000 gallons (7570 L) shall be amended to read as follows: .....