Battle Creek, MI Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Section 1610.05(c) of the Battle Creek Codified Ordinances allows recreational fires for food preparation and recreation, and paragraphs (2) through (4) set the numbers that govern a backyard fire pit. Before lighting, conditions and materials which could cause a fire to spread within 15 feet of a structure must be eliminated. The size of the fire is limited to two (2) feet or less in height and three (3) feet or less in diameter. A recreational fire exceeding those size restrictions is considered a bonfire, which requires a permit consistent with subsection (d).

Portable outdoor fireplaces and fire pits get their own paragraph. Under paragraph (4), they must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and cannot be operated within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material. Section 1610.03(f) repeats that rule as an amendment to the International Fire Code (Section 307.4.3, Portable outdoor fireplaces), which adopts the 15 feet (3048 mm) figure. A pit that fits the manufacturer's instructions but sits 10 feet from a fence or house still fails the City test, because the 15-foot distance applies on top of the manufacturer's directions.

Other conditions in subsection (c) apply to every fire pit. The fire may not be left unattended, onsite fire-extinguishing equipment or a water source must be close at hand, and the fire must be completely extinguished before the user leaves. The landowner takes full responsibility that the fire does not spread, is monitored and is fully extinguished, and is liable for any and all damage and must defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City of Battle Creek. Subsection (b) adds that no fire can contain grass clippings or leaves.

A fire that outgrows the pit moves into bonfire territory under subsection (d): a permit from the City, a 50-foot distance from structures, combustible materials and the public right of way, and a size cap of three feet in height and eight feet in diameter.