8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Hamilton County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Backyard fire pits, chimineas, and small recreational fires are allowed in Hamilton County without a burn permit, even during the May 1–Sept. 30 seasonal ban. Tennessee's fire code requires them at least 25 feet from any structure and constantly attended.
TN Fire Code (IFC 2021) §307.4.2
Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet (7620 mm) of a structure or combustible material.
Consumer fireworks are legal to buy and use in Tennessee, but discharge is restricted locally. In Chattanooga, fireworks must not be set off after 11:30 p.m. (extended to 12:30 a.m. on July 4th and New Year's Eve). Unincorporated county is more permissive.
Hamilton County does not impose a mandatory defensible-space or vegetation-clearance law like fire-prone Western states. Clearing brush is handled through the APCB burn-permit program and voluntary Firewise practices, not a required clearance zone.
Open burning of yard brush is banned county-wide from May 1 through Sept. 30. During the October–April season you need a permit from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau. County permits are $15; city permits $75.
Chattanooga-Hamilton County APCB Burning Permit conditions
Burn piles shall not be larger than 8′ x 8′ x 8′. Material to be burned is limited to 12 inches in diameter. ... Non-compliance with any of the above conditions could result in civil penalties up to $25,000 per day.
Hamilton County is not divided into statutory wildfire-severity zones like Western states. Wildfire risk is managed by the Tennessee Division of Forestry, which requires a permit for any open burning within 500 feet of forest, woodland, or grassland from Oct. 15–Apr. 30.
Tennessee law requires an approved smoke alarm in every one- or two-family rental unit, audible in the sleeping rooms. Landlords must ensure alarms work before a new tenant moves in. Violations are a Class A misdemeanor under TCA 68-102-151.
Small backyard cooking, warming, and campfires are permitted in Hamilton County without a burn permit, including during the seasonal ban. They must stay at least 25 feet from structures, be constantly attended, and be fully extinguished afterward.
Hamilton County has no separate propane-storage ordinance; storage follows Tennessee's adopted fire code and NFPA 58. On multi-family balconies, only small LP-gas containers of 2½ pounds or less water capacity are allowed near combustible construction.
1 cities in Hamilton County have their own fire regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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