Fire Regulations in St. Joseph County, IN (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
St. Joseph County allows recreational campfires and cooking fires on residential property without a burn permit under Section 92.03, but only if the home has four units or fewer, only wood products are burned, an adult attends the fire at all times, and nearly all the material is consumed by sunset. Apartment complexes and mobile home parks cannot have them at all, and county commissioners can order all fires extinguished during a declared burn ban.
St. Joseph County Recreational Fire Pit Rules
Some RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Code of Ordinances §§ 92.02, 92.03
§ 92.02. Securing permission to burn. (A)No person shall...start or cause to be set or started...any open fire without first obtaining and having in his or her possession, written permission of the chief of the fire department of the township furnishing fire protection in the locale of any such fire. § 92.03. Control of domestic fires. (A)Not withstanding the provisions of section 92.02, the fo...
Fireworks
Consumer fireworks are legal for adults across St. Joseph County, and under Indiana Code 22-11-14-10.5 no county or city ordinance may ban their use on the days around July 4 or on New Year's, or before 11 p.m. on ordinary days.
St. Joseph County Fireworks Regulations
Few RestrictionsInd. Code § 22-11-14-10.5
An ordinance adopted under this section: (1) may limit the use of consumer fireworks in the county or municipality; (2) may not be more lenient than a rule adopted by a state agency concerning the use of fireworks; and (3) may not limit the use of consumer fireworks: (A) between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and two (2) hours after sunset on June 29, June 30, July 1, July 2, July 3, July 5, July 6, Ju...
Outdoor Burning
St. Joseph County bans open burning countywide unless the health officer grants written approval, and it prohibits leaf burning outright with no exception, under Chapter 91 of the Code of Ordinances. Anyone burning leaves, running an unapproved salvage-burning operation, or igniting an open fire without sign-off from the health officer risks a warning notice on a first offense and a written citation carrying a fine set in the county's schedule of fines and fees on repeat violations.
St. Joseph County Open Burning Prohibition
Significant RestrictionsSt. Joseph County, Ind., Code of Ordinances §§ 91.02, 91.03
§ 91.02. Open burning; requirements generally. (A)No person shall cause or allow open burning except with the written approval of the health officer. The health officer, in determining whether to approve or disapprove open burning, shall take into consideration the following:(1)Training of local fire department personnel;(2)Training of industrial fire department personnel;(3)Controlled burning ...
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