Fire Regulations in Detroit, MI (2026)
8 verified fire regulations for Detroit, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pit Rules
Detroit regulates recreational fires under the Detroit Fire Prevention and Protection Code (City Code Chapter 19), which adopts NFPA 1 Fire Code with local amendments. Open Burning and Outdoor Fire Activities are covered in Division 5 of the chapter. A 'campfire' is defined as an outdoor fire in a fire pit for recreation or cooking — not for waste disposal — and may only burn clean wood.
Detroit, MI Fire Pit and Recreational Fire Rules
Some RestrictionsFireworks
Detroit regulates consumer fireworks under City Code Chapter 19, Section 19-1-43, exercising local authority granted by the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act (MCL 28.451 et seq., as amended by PA 257 of 2018). Use is limited to specific holiday windows: New Year's Eve into 1 a.m. New Year's Day, the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day, June 29 through July 4, July 5 (if Friday or Saturday), and the Saturday and Sunday before Labor Day - all ending by 11:45 p.m.
Detroit, MI Consumer Fireworks Rules
Heavy RestrictionsBrush Clearance
Detroit does not sit in a designated wildland fire zone, so it has no defensible-space brush-clearance rule like California cities. Instead, vegetation overgrowth is handled as a property-maintenance and blight violation: Detroit City Code Sec. 8-15-35(a) requires all exterior property to be kept free of weeds and plant growth in excess of 8 inches, and Sec. 8-15-113 sets the same 8-inch limit for grass and weeds abutting sidewalks, gutters, and alleys.
Detroit, MI Brush, Weeds, and Vegetation Clearance
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Burning
Open burning of yard waste, leaves, and refuse is prohibited in Detroit. Michigan's Part 115 solid-waste law bans open burning of yard waste in every municipality over 7,500 population, and Detroit's Fire Prevention and Protection Code (Chapter 19, Division 5) reinforces the ban. Only contained recreational campfires burning clean wood for cooking or recreation are allowed; open piles, leaf burning, and burning of construction debris are not.
Detroit, MI Outdoor Burning Rules
Heavy RestrictionsWildfire Zones
Detroit is not located in a designated wildfire hazard zone. The city is fully urban with low vegetative fuel load.
Fire: Wildfire Zones
Few RestrictionsSmoke Detectors
Michigan Residential Code R314 and Detroit Fire Prevention Code require working smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every level.
Fire: Smoke Detectors
Heavy RestrictionsBackyard Fires
Detroit allows small recreational fires in approved fire pits or chimineas. Maximum 3 feet in diameter, 2 feet high, at least 25 feet from structures or property lines.
Fire: Backyard Fires
Some RestrictionsPropane Storage
Detroit Fire Department adopts the Michigan Fire Prevention Code, capping residential propane cylinders, banning indoor storage above one-pound, and requiring listed appliances and ventilated outdoor placement.
Detroit Residential Propane Cylinder Storage Limits
Some RestrictionsLooking for Wayne County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Detroit city rules.
Fire Regulations in Wayne County →