8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Knox County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Recreational fire pits and portable outdoor fireplaces are allowed in Knox County without an open-burning permit as a 'recreational fire.' Under the adopted 2018 International Fire Code, keep recreational fires 25 feet from any structure and portable fireplaces 15 feet away.
IFC 2018 §§ 307.4.2, 307.4.3 (adopted by Knox County)
Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material. Portable outdoor fireplaces shall not be operated within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material.
Tennessee makes consumer (1.4G) fireworks legal statewide, and unincorporated Knox County has no blanket discharge ban. But state law bars igniting fireworks within 600 feet of a church, hospital, or school. Inside Knoxville city limits, consumer fireworks are prohibited.
Knox County has no wildfire-style defensible-space ordinance mandating brush clearance around homes. Overgrown vegetation is handled as a general property-maintenance nuisance, and burning brush requires an Air Quality open-burning permit. Firewise clearance around structures is voluntary.
Knox County restricts open burning through its Air Quality Management program. A residential land-management permit lets you burn onsite brush under 3 inches in diameter, only between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., with all flames out by 4 p.m. Leaves, trash, and construction debris cannot be burned.
Knox County Air Quality Management - Open Burning Permit
Burning hours are from 9:00am to 3:00pm. 7 days a week, and all flames and smoke must be completely out by 4:00pm daily. Piles being burned can be no larger than 144 cubic feet each. All fires must be maintained at least 50 ft from any structure.
Knox County does not designate wildfire hazard or wildland-urban-interface zones and has not adopted special construction or clearance rules for them. Wildfire risk is managed through Tennessee Division of Forestry burn permits and voluntary Firewise practices, not a mapped county overlay.
Knox County follows the 2018 International codes for smoke-alarm placement in new and renovated homes. Alarms are required in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every level. The county fire department also offers free smoke detectors to residents on request.
Backyard campfires and bonfires are allowed in Knox County as recreational fires without an open-burning permit. Keep them attended, away from structures, and burn only clean wood. From Oct 15 to May 15 a free TN Forestry burn permit is required for fires near woodland.
Knox County Air Quality - Open Burning (allowed without permit)
Recreational or Ceremonial fires (e.g., campfires, bonfires, etc.) are allowed without a permit.
Propane storage in Knox County is governed by the adopted 2018 International Fire Code and NFPA 58. Small residential grill cylinders are unrestricted, but larger tanks have quantity limits, clearance, and permit requirements enforced by the county Fire Prevention Bureau.
1 cities in Knox County have their own fire regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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