Joliet, IL Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

The Joliet Fire Department enforces backyard fire rules under the City's adoption of the International Fire Code (IFC) and the local fire-prevention chapter. Open burning, defined by the Fire Department as burning any fuel without an approved fire pit, is prohibited within City limits. The only allowed device is a commercially sold steel outdoor fire pit on legs with a steel bottom, wire-mesh sides, and a top in place during use. Fuel must be wooden logs or artificial logs that fit fully inside the wire mesh; wooden pallets, treated deck wood, leaves, dimensional lumber, and garbage are prohibited fuels. Approved pits must be at least 15 feet from any structure or fence and require a fire extinguisher or charged garden hose to be available. Even with an approved pit, if a neighbor complains that smoke, flames, sparks, or odor is offensive or objectionable, the homeowner must extinguish the fire immediately. A responding police officer or fire inspector may issue a compliance ticket as a public nuisance or under IFC Section 307 Prohibited Open Burning. Recreational burning of leaves and yard waste is separately barred under the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5) and IEPA open-burning regulations; Joliet relies on curbside collection for yard waste. IEPA may also issue regional burn bans during air-quality alerts.