Bellevue, NE Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Section 12-176 requires every outdoor fireplace, defined in Section 12-172 to include fire pits, portable fire pits and chimeneas, to keep a minimum 15-foot clearance from combustible structures or material such as walls, fences, decks and woodpiles, and to be built of concrete or another noncombustible material with a spark-guard screen whose openings are no larger than one-half inch square. The fuel area cannot exceed three feet in diameter or two feet in height, and only untreated wood or approved starter logs may be burned, never petroleum products, rubbish, plastics or rubber.

The unit must sit at grade level on a stable, noncombustible surface, and cannot be placed on or under a combustible balcony, deck or overhang. At least one person 18 or older must supervise the fire from ignition until the embers are cooled, with a garden hose or other extinguishing equipment on hand, and the fire chief can order an outdoor fireplace extinguished immediately if neighbors complain of a smoke nuisance. A permit from the Permits and Inspections Department is required for any outdoor fireplace tied to a permanent gas line or built as a permanent fire pit, but Section 12-176(11)(c) waives the permit for portable fire pits or chimeneas that are commercially designed and independently tested.