8 rules for unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Verified from official government sources
Backyard fire pits and chimineas are treated as recreational fires under the Louisiana-adopted International Fire Code. A recreational fire must stay at least 25 feet from any structure, and a portable outdoor fireplace at least 15 feet, kept constantly attended.
The private use, sale, and discharge of fireworks is prohibited in the unincorporated areas of Jefferson Parish, including Metairie, Marrero, Harvey, Terrytown and River Ridge. Only sanctioned public displays are allowed. Some incorporated cities (Kenner, Gretna, Grand Isle) permit personal fireworks on limited dates.
La. RS 51:660
The governing authority of a parish or municipality is hereby authorized to regulate or prohibit the sale, use, and possession of pyrotechnics commonly known as fireworks in conformity with the provisions of this Part.
Jefferson Parish is flat, low-lying coastal Louisiana and does not impose a defensible-space or brush-clearance requirement like wildfire-prone western counties. Overgrown lots are instead handled as a property-maintenance nuisance under the parish weed and grass rules, and open burning to clear brush is restricted under state DEQ regulations.
Open burning of yard waste is effectively banned in Jefferson Parish. Louisiana's open-burning rule (LAC 33:III.1109) only lets homeowners burn leaves and branches in parishes of 300,000 or fewer, and Jefferson Parish (about 441,000) exceeds that. Plastic, rubber, and tires may never be burned.
LAC 33:III.1109.C.1
...the burning of leaves, grass, twigs, branches, and vines by a private property owner on his own property for noncommercial purposes in parishes with a population of 300,000 or less, provided the property owner attends the burning of yard waste at all times.
Jefferson Parish has no wildfire-hazard zones or wildland-urban-interface fire designations. It is a low-lying, largely developed and marsh/coastal parish where flooding, hurricanes, and drainage — not wildfire — are the governing hazards. There are no defensible-space or fire-zone building requirements tied to wildfire here.
Louisiana law requires every one- or two-family dwelling to have a working smoke detector at sale or lease, and since 2023 a carbon monoxide detector too. Jefferson Parish enforces this statewide standard through its adopted codes; landlords must keep the alarms operable.
La. RS 40:1581(A)
All existing one- or two-family dwellings at the time of sale or lease shall contain, at a minimum, an operable ten-year, sealed lithium battery smoke detector.
Small backyard fires for cooking or recreation are allowed if they follow the state-adopted fire code: kept a safe distance from structures, constantly attended, and limited to clean fuel. Burning yard waste or trash is not permitted, since Jefferson Parish exceeds the state open-burning population limit.
Propane (LP-gas) storage in Jefferson Parish follows Louisiana's adopted Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code, NFPA 58, enforced by the State Fire Marshal and the Louisiana LP Gas Commission. Container placement, cylinder quantities, and clearances from buildings and ignition sources must meet NFPA 58, and larger installations require permits and inspection.
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