Recreational backyard fires for cooking and warmth are permitted in unincorporated Hillsborough County without a permit when kept small and contained. Fires must be 25 feet from structures, use only clean wood, and be attended with a water source. Active burn bans suspend wood fires.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue applies Florida Fire Prevention Code Chapter 10 to backyard recreational fires. Allowed uses include cooking, ceremonial gatherings, and warmth in contained pits or portable units. Yard debris burning is separately regulated and requires Florida Forest Service authorization. Neighbors affected by smoke may file nuisance complaints with Code Enforcement.
Unsafe or oversized fires: extinguishment order and up to 250 dollar citation. Burning during ban: up to 500 dollars. Nuisance smoke complaints: code enforcement action.
See how Hillsborough County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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