Gaithersburg allows recreational fire pits but restricts their size and placement. Fire pits must be kept at least 10 feet from structures. Fires larger than 3 feet in diameter are classified as bonfires and require 1,500 feet of clearance. Only aged dried wood may be burned.
Gaithersburg Chapter 11 (Fire Safety) adopts the NFPA 1 Fire Code with local amendments governing outdoor fires. Recreational fire pits, fire bowls, and chimineas must be placed at least 10 feet from any structure with a clear area of at least 3 feet in diameter around the device. Only aged dried wood may be burned; burning construction materials, brush, trash, or yard waste is prohibited. Fires larger than 3 feet in diameter are classified as bonfires and must be at least 1,500 feet from occupied buildings, property lines, and roadways. For multi-family dwellings, charcoal or fuel-burning cooking equipment must be at least 20 feet from any part of the building, though townhouses separated by fire walls are exempt from this restriction. Montgomery County also regulates open burning under its Department of Environmental Protection and COMAR 26.11.07.
Violation of fire pit placement or burning restrictions: citation from Gaithersburg Fire Marshal. Open burning violations may also be enforced by Montgomery County DEP.
See how other cities in Montgomery County handle backyard fires.
See how Gaithersburg's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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