Ottawa County, MI Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Ottawa County, MI, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.6(a)(viii)-(ix)
- Where it applies
- Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission property only
- Allowed fire spots
- Grills, fireplaces, fire rings, or posted areas
- Pedestal grill fuel
- Charcoal and lighter fluid only, cooking use
- Penalty
- Civil infraction fine up to $100 plus costs
- Enforced by
- Sheriff's deputies or Commission agents/designees
Summary
On Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission property, Code of Ottawa County § 400.3.1.6(a)(viii) bars fires anywhere except grills, fireplaces, fire rings, or areas specifically provided and identified for that purpose. Pedestal grills under subsection (ix) may burn only charcoal and lighter fluid, and only for cooking. The rule covers county park land alone; private fire pits fall outside county authority.
a) No person, while on Commission Park Property, shall: ... viii. Build fires except in grills, fireplaces, fire rings, or other areas specifically provided and identified for that purpose. ix. Build a fire in a pedestal grill for any purpose other than cooking or use any fuel other than charcoal and lighter fluid in said grill.
Full Breakdown
11 and originally enacted September 13, 1991, then codified into the county code on April 9, 2019. 6(a)(viii) tells anyone on Commission Park Property not to build fires except in grills, fireplaces, fire rings, or other areas the Commission has specifically provided and identified for that purpose. Subsection (ix) narrows pedestal grills further: they may be used only for cooking, and only with charcoal and lighter fluid, ruling out other fuels such as gasoline or wood scraps. 3(b) as all lands, waters, and property the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission administers as park areas, so the fire-pit rule reaches county park land and nothing beyond it.
Ottawa County itself has no residential fire-pit ordinance: the county does not zone or regulate open burning on private property where a township or city government exists, and every township in Ottawa County has its own government, so backyard fire-pit rules come from the city or township where the property sits, not the county. 18(a)(i).
Violations & Fines
Building a fire outside a designated grill, fireplace, or fire ring on Commission Park Property, or fueling a pedestal grill with anything besides charcoal and lighter fluid, is a municipal civil infraction under § 400.3.1.17(a): a civil fine up to $100 plus the county's costs of prosecution. An Ottawa County Sheriff's deputy or a Parks and Recreation Commission agent or designee can issue the citation on the spot under § 400.3.1.18(a)(i).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a campfire at an Ottawa County park?
What can I burn in a pedestal grill at a county park?
Does Ottawa County regulate fire pits in my backyard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ottawa County
How Ottawa County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Ottawa County to another location·View the Michigan fire regulations overview
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