New Orleans, LA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Recreational backyard fires are governed by general fire-safety provisions of the New Orleans Code and the International Fire Code as adopted by Louisiana. Allowed fires include charcoal grills, gas grills, manufactured fire pits and chimineas burning clean dry firewood, and small ceremonial fires. Prohibited materials include household trash, plastics, treated or painted lumber, tires, leaves, and yard debris. The fire must be in a non-combustible container or contained pit with a spark screen, located on a non-flammable surface, and a typical separation of at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible wall is expected (with shorter separations allowed for small portable grills under three feet in size). A responsible adult must remain with the fire until it is fully extinguished, and a working hose, bucket of water, or fire extinguisher must be readily available. Fires that produce dense smoke drifting onto neighboring property may be ordered extinguished as a nuisance regardless of fuel choice. Consumer fireworks are illegal to discharge within Orleans Parish under city ordinance even when sold legally elsewhere in Louisiana, and possession or use can result in citation. Sky lanterns and other airborne ignited devices are also prohibited. During declared burn bans by the State Fire Marshal, even otherwise permitted recreational fires may be suspended.