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Fire Regulations in Boston, MA (2026)

8 verified fire regulations for Boston, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Fire Pit Rules

Wood-burning fire pits and open fires are banned year-round in Boston. Only gas-fueled outdoor fire appliances complying with manufacturer specifications and fire code are permitted.

Boston Fire Pit Rules

Heavy Restrictions

Fireworks

All consumer fireworks are illegal in Massachusetts including sparklers. Boston enforces this strict statewide ban with confiscation and fines under MGL Chapter 148 Section 39.

Boston Fireworks Regulations

Heavy Restrictions

MGL c.148 § 39 — Sales, possession, use of fireworks; penalties

Section 39. No person shall sell, or keep or offer for sale, or have in his possession, or under his control, or use, or explode, or cause to explode, any combustible or explosive composition or substance, or any combination of such compositions or substances, or any other article, which was prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion, deflagration...

Brush Clearance

Boston may require vegetation management for fire safety. MA does not have a statewide defensible space mandate. Local property maintenance applies.

Boston Brush Clearance & Vegetation Management

Few Restrictions

MGL c.48 § 13 — Open Burning Permit Conditions (incl. brush/debris)

Section 13. No person shall set, maintain or increase a fire in the open air at any time except by permission, covering a period not exceeding two days from the date thereof, granted by the forest warden or chief of the fire department in cities and towns, or, in cities having such an official, the fire commissioner [...] The forest warden, chief or fire commissioner, as the case may be, may ma...

Outdoor Burning

Open burning is banned year-round in Boston. The city is one of approximately 40 MA municipalities where the statewide seasonal open burning period does not apply.

Boston Outdoor Burning Rules

Heavy Restrictions

MGL c.48 § 13 — Setting open air fires; conditions and restrictions; penalty

Section 13. No person shall set, maintain or increase a fire in the open air at any time except by permission, covering a period not exceeding two days from the date thereof, granted by the forest warden or chief of the fire department in cities and towns, or, in cities having such an official, the fire commissioner; provided, that if such permission is not in writing, a written record of the g...

Wildfire Zones

Boston is a dense urban city with no designated wildfire hazard zones. State and Commonwealth forest-fire mapping does not identify WUI areas within the city limits.

Fire: Wildfire Zones

Few Restrictions

Smoke Detectors

Boston requires photoelectric smoke detectors and CO alarms on every level and within 10 feet of sleeping areas under 527 CMR 1.00 and Massachusetts General Laws Ch. 148 Section 26F.

Fire: Smoke Detectors

Heavy Restrictions

MGL c.148 § 26F — Smoke detectors on sale or transfer

Section 26F. All buildings or structures occupied in whole or in part for residential purposes and not regulated by sections twenty-six A, twenty-six B or twenty-six C shall, upon the sale or transfer of such building or structure, be equipped by the seller with approved smoke detectors as provided in section twenty-six E. The head of the fire department shall enforce the provisions of this sec...

Backyard Fires

Open burning is prohibited in Boston year-round. Recreational fires in approved portable outdoor fireplaces or chimineas are allowed with BFD permit under 527 CMR 1.00 Ch. 10.

Fire: Backyard Fires

Heavy Restrictions

Propane Storage

Storage of liquefied petroleum gas in Boston is regulated under 527 CMR 1.00 (Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code) and Boston Code Ch. 11-2.1, with BFD permits required for tanks above household quantities.

Boston Propane Storage and Permit Rules

Heavy Restrictions

Looking for Suffolk County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Boston city rules.

Fire Regulations in Suffolk County