Akron, OH Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Akron, OH, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Akron City Code § 93.40
- Distance from structures
- 15 feet; balconies/decks count as structure
- Extra fuel distance
- 10 feet from the fire
- Max containment opening
- 20 square feet
- Water supply required
- Within 50 feet of the fire
- Allowed fuel
- Charcoal, clean wood, LP gas, natural gas
- First-offense penalty
- Written warning, no fine
Summary
Akron lets residents burn a contained recreational fire, whether it's a fire pit, charcoal grill, or burn table, only if it's fueled by charcoal, clean wood, or LP/natural gas and kept at least 15 feet from any structure, including balconies, porches, and decks. The Bureau of Fire Prevention can order it extinguished the moment it turns into a hazard.
A. No person shall kindle or maintain any fire or knowingly furnish the material for any fire or authorize any fire to be kindled or maintained within the limits of the City. B. This section shall not apply to fires kindled or maintained within limits of the City if the following requirements are complied with: 1. Only charcoal, clean wood, liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas shall be used as fuel, and scrap materials, rubbish, yard waste, and similar material is prohibited; 2. The fire and the fuel that has been added to the fire shall be contained within a fire place, fire pit, burn table, grill or other device that is designed to contain and capable of containing a fire; 3. The fire and extra fuel shall be kept a minimum of fifteen feet from all structures, with constructions such as balconies, porches, and decks connected to houses, apartments, or similar structures deemed part of the structure itself, and the extra fuel shall be kept a minimum of ten feet from the fire; 4. The opening of any containment device...shall have an area of no more than twenty square feet; 5. A dedicated water supply for extinguishment must be maintained within fifty feet of the fire.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64).
Full Breakdown
40 bans kindling or maintaining any fire within Akron's limits unless it fits a narrow exception built for backyard fire pits, grills, and burn tables. Under that exception, only charcoal, clean wood, liquefied petroleum gas, or natural gas may fuel the fire; scrap materials, rubbish, and yard waste are barred outright. The fire and any added fuel must sit inside a fireplace, fire pit, burn table, grill, or similar device built to contain flame, and that device's opening can't exceed twenty square feet, roughly a five-foot circle.
Distance rules matter most for renters and townhome owners: the fire and its fuel supply have to stay a minimum of fifteen feet from any structure, and the code specifically counts balconies, porches, and decks connected to a house or apartment as part of that structure, so a grill set against a second-floor balcony railing sits inside the banned zone. Extra fuel kept nearby, a bag of charcoal or a spare propane tank, needs ten feet of separation from the flame itself, and whoever is burning has to keep a dedicated water supply, a hose or bucket, within fifty feet for quick extinguishment.
Akron's Bureau of Fire Prevention can order a fire put out on the spot if its size, smoke, or the condition of the containment device becomes a hazard or nuisance, cooking fire or not. A narrow carve-out lets outdoor workers and striking employees keep warming fires if they follow the separate rules in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3745-19.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of § 93.40 draws a written warning with no fine under § 93.99. A second offense carries a $100 administrative fine, a third climbs to $200, and a fourth or later violation escalates to $1,000 per violation per day. Violating the fire prevention chapter is also a third-degree misdemeanor, and each ten-day period a hazard continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a propane grill on my Akron apartment balcony?
How close can a backyard fire pit be to my house in Akron?
What fuel is legal to burn in an Akron fire pit?
Can the Fire Department make me put out a legal fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Akron
How Akron compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Akron to another location·View the Ohio fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.