Fire Regulations in Fort Collins, CO (2026)
6 verified fire regulations for Fort Collins, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Fort Collins regulates fire pits and outdoor fireplaces under a 2024 International Fire Code amendment, City Code § 9-2, adopting Section 307.4.3. Portable or fixed fire pits, including fire tables, must follow the manufacturer's clearance instructions or sit at least fifteen feet from a combustible structure or material, run on gas or liquid fuel, and never operate under a combustible overhang, unless a listed exception applies.
Fort Collins Fire Pit Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 9-2 (IFC § 307.4.3)
307.4.3 Portable and Fixed Outdoor Fireplaces. Portable and fixed outdoor fireplaces, including fire tables, shall be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Outdoor fireplaces for public use must be listed for commercial use. Outdoor fireplaces shall not be placed closer to combustible materials than what is stated in the manufacturer's instructions. If the manufacturer's inst...
Fireworks
Fort Collins bans nearly all fireworks under a 2024 International Fire Code amendment, City Code § 9-2, adopting Section 5601.1.3. The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling, and use of fireworks are prohibited citywide, with narrow exceptions only for licensed storage and handling under Section 5604 and for permitted public fireworks displays run by a qualified pyrotechnic operator under Section 5608.
Fort Collins Fireworks Possession Ban
Heavy RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 9-2 (IFC § 5601.1.3)
5601.1.3 Fireworks. The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks are prohibited.
Outdoor Burning
Fort Collins bans open burning and undesignated open fires citywide at all times under City Code § 9-23, with limited exceptions that require a permit from Larimer County or the Fire Code Official. The City Manager can also declare Stage 1 or Stage 2 fire restrictions that further limit or eliminate campfires, fire pits, and other open flames when wildfire danger rises.
Fort Collins Open Burning and Fire Bans
Significant RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 9-23
The following types of open fires and open burning are prohibited in the City at all times: (1)Burning of refuse or rubbish except as permitted under Section 20-42(i).(2)Any person using fireworks, or the owner, occupant, tenant or person otherwise having any possessory control, individually or jointly with others, who is present where fireworks are being used, except as allowed in the Internat...
Wildfire Zones
Fort Collins declares its wildfire hazard zones by adopting the state's 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code wholesale. Under § 5-370, the City Council is the authority having jurisdiction, and § 5-371's amended § 302.1 ties every wildland-urban interface boundary directly to the state's CWRC Map rather than a locally drawn line.
Fort Collins Wildland-Urban Interface Zones
Significant RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code §§ 5-370, 5-371 (amended § 302.1)
Pursuant to the power and authority conferred on the City Council by Colorado Revised Statutes Section 31-16-202 and Article II, Section 7 of the Charter, there is hereby adopted by reference as the wildfire resiliency code of the City, for the purposes of safeguarding life and property from intrusion of fire from wildland fire exposures and fire exposures from adjacent structures and mitigatin...
Smoke Detectors
Fort Collins requires listed smoke alarms meeting UL 217 in dwellings under a 2024 International Fire Code amendment, City Code § 9-2, Section 907.2.11. Adding or creating a sleeping room in an existing residential building triggers a duty to bring the entire building up to the smoke-detector standard required for new construction, and bedrooms needing a fire alarm system must use a 520-Hz alarm tone.
Fort Collins Smoke Alarm Requirements
Some RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 9-2 (IFC § 907.2.11)
907.2.11 Single- and multiple-stations smoke alarms. Listed single- and multiple-station smoke alarms complying with UL 217 shall be installed in accordance with Sections 907.2.11.1 through 907.2.11.7, NFPA 72 and the manufacturer's instructions. Where one or more sleeping rooms are added or created in existing Group R Occupancies, the entire building shall be provided with smoke detectors loca...
Propane Storage
Fort Collins caps liquefied petroleum gas storage at 2,000 gallons per installation within the district limits set by the fire code adoption ordinance, under a 2024 International Fire Code amendment at City Code § 9-2, Section 6104.2. The Fire Code Official can adjust that ceiling case by case after weighing topography, occupancy, container capacity, fire protection, and local firefighting capability.
Fort Collins LP-Gas Storage Cap
Some RestrictionsFort Collins Municipal Code § 9-2 (IFC § 6104.2)
6104.2 Maximum capacity within established limits. For the protection of heavily populated or congested areas, storage of liquified petroleum gas shall not exceed an aggregate capacity in any one installation of 2,000 gallons (7570 L) within the limits established by law as set forth in the fire code adoption ordinance and in accordance with the City of Fort Collins Land Use Code. Exception: In...
Looking for Larimer County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Collins city rules.
Fire Regulations in Larimer County →