Farmington Hills, MI Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Farmington Hills Code of Ordinances Chapter 12 (Fire Prevention and Protection), Sec. 12-14, regulates backyard recreational fires. The Farmington Hills Fire Department's official summary of the ordinance: 'The City of Farmington Hills Fire Prevention Ordinance allows for small recreational fires at single-family homes only. These must be in an approved semi-enclosed device using only seasoned firewood.' Specific operating requirements: (1) the fire must be constantly attended by a competent person of legal age; (2) extinguishing equipment (garden hose, bucket of water, or portable fire extinguisher) must be immediately available; (3) a safe distance must be maintained from the residence, deck, fence, garage, shed, and any other combustible material; (4) only seasoned firewood may be burned - never yard waste, leaves, brush, refuse, treated/painted lumber, or construction debris; (5) the fire must be completely extinguished after use; and (6) the cooled coals must be stored in a metal container placed outside the home (never in plastic, paper, or directly against the structure). Open ground fires, traditional bonfires, brush-pile burns, and burning in unapproved devices are prohibited; the Fire Department's guidance is explicit: 'some people think they've found a loophole and burn yard waste in portable fireplaces, burn pits or ceramic chimineas, but regardless of the device, nothing is permitted.' Recreational fires at multi-family dwellings (apartments, condominiums, townhouses) are not authorized; the Sec. 12-14 exception applies only at single-family residential properties. Any backyard fire that does not fit within the Sec. 12-14 single-family-home recreational-fire allowance requires Fire Prevention Division approval - call 248-871-2820. Michigan operates under the 2015 Michigan Building Code (2015 IBC base + state amendments) per MCL 125.1502; Farmington Hills' Sec. 12-14 supplements this state framework for outdoor fires.