Orlando, FL Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Backyard fires in Orlando follow the Florida Fire Prevention Code, which adopts NFPA 1 chapter 10 on open burning and recreational fires. A recreational fire is fueled by clean firewood (no leaves, brush, garbage, or treated lumber) and limited to 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height. Larger fires require Florida Forest Service authorization under FL Statute 590.125 and are essentially never authorized inside Orlando city limits. Setbacks: 25 feet from any structure, fence, or combustible material for fire pits; 15 feet for portable outdoor fireplaces, chimineas, and pellet smokers. Charcoal and gas grills are commonly used; on the balconies or within 10 feet of any combustible exterior wall of multi-family residential buildings, only electric grills are allowed under NFPA 1 10.10.6 (with limited exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings). All fires require an attending adult with a hose, extinguisher, or buckets of water. Burn bans by the city, Orange County, or the Florida Forest Service suspend all open burning, including recreational fires; gas grills are usually still allowed. Smoke that drifts onto neighbors or roadways may trigger nuisance enforcement.