Bartholomew County, IN Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Bartholomew County, IN, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Campfire setback
- 25 feet from any structure
- Cooking fire setback
- exempt from the 25-foot rule
- Daylight/sunset rule
- does not apply to campfires or cooking fires
- Attendance
- must be attended until fully extinguished
- Max fine
- up to $2,500 per offense
Summary
Campfires and cooking fires are allowed outdoors in unincorporated residential developments without a permit, but campfires must stay at least 25 feet from any structure and be attended at all times. Cooking fires alone are exempt from that 25-foot setback and from the daylight-hours cutoff.
(A) The following types of outdoor burning and fires shall be permitted outdoors: ... (3) Campfires; and (4) Cooking fires. (B) Except as noted, all types of outdoor burning and fires permitted under division (A) above shall be subject to the following. (1) Fires shall be attended at all times until completely extinguished. (2) Except in the case of campfires and cooking fires, all burning shall occur during daylight hours and all burning material must be consumed by sunset or the fire must be extinguished at sunset. No fire shall be permitted to smolder after sunset. (3) Except in the case of cooking fires, all burning must take place at least 25 feet from any structure.
Full Breakdown
38(A)(3) and (4) list campfires and cooking fires among the outdoor fires permitted without prior approval in a residential development. 38(B): a fire must be attended at all times until completely extinguished, and it cannot proceed during unfavorable meteorological conditions such as temperature inversions, high winds, or air stagnation, nor become an air-pollution problem, public nuisance, or fire hazard, in which case it must be put out immediately. Two conditions single out cooking fires for special treatment. 38(B)(2), every permitted fire except campfires and cooking fires must burn only during daylight hours and be consumed or extinguished by sunset; campfires and cooking fires may continue after dark.
38(B)(3), all burning must occur at least 25 feet from any structure except cooking fires, meaning a backyard fire pit used for cooking can sit closer than 25 feet to a house or shed, while a recreational campfire cannot. 39.
Violations & Fines
Violating the campfire or cooking-fire conditions in § 91.38 is enforced as an outdoor-burning violation under § 91.99, which for provisions outside §§ 91.15-91.22 defaults to § 10.99's general penalty of up to $2,500 per offense, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a campfire be from my house in unincorporated Bartholomew County?
Can I keep a cooking fire burning after dark?
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartholomew County
How Bartholomew County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Bartholomew County to another location·View the Indiana fire regulations overview
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