Benton County, OR Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Benton County, OR, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Where it applies
- County parks, natural areas, campgrounds, Crystal Lake Cemetery
- Fire container required
- Stove, pit or fireplace provided by county
- Portable devices
- Allowed in campgrounds/picnic areas only
- Unattended fires
- Never permitted
- Enforcing agency
- Natural Areas and Parks Director
- Maximum fine
- $500 per day (§ 15.305)
Summary
In Benton County's own natural areas and parks, open fires are banned except in a stove, pit, or fireplace the Natural Areas and Parks Department has installed for that purpose. Portable cooking devices are allowed in established campgrounds and picnic areas, but no fire, portable or fixed, may ever be left unattended under BCC § 15.010(1)(a).
(1)Within any county site, no person shall: ... (a)Build a fire or dispose of burning material, except in a stove, pit, or fireplace provided by the Natural Areas and Parks Department for such purpose. Portable cooking devices may be used in established campground and picnic areas if in safe operating condition and used in a safe manner. Fires shall not be left unattended.
Full Breakdown
010(1)(a) governs fires only on land the Natural Areas and Parks Department manages: county parks, natural areas, campgrounds, and Crystal Lake Cemetery. Inside those county sites, no one may build a fire or dispose of burning material except in a stove, pit, or fireplace the department itself has provided. Portable cooking devices, camp stoves and small propane grills, are permitted in established campground and picnic areas as long as the device is in safe operating condition, used safely, and never left unattended. 010(1)(n)), so a violation at a fire pit can be charged alongside those if the facts overlap.
This section does not reach private backyards or other private land in unincorporated Benton County; the county code contains no separate residential open-burning or backyard fire-pit ordinance, so a fire pit on private property is not covered by BCC Chapter 15. 305.
Violations & Fines
Building a fire outside a provided stove, pit or fireplace, or leaving any fire (including a portable cooking device) unattended on a county park, natural area, campground or Crystal Lake Cemetery site is a violation of Chapter 15. Under § 15.305 the act is declared a nuisance and is punishable, on conviction, by a fine of not more than $500, with each day of violation counted as a separate offense; the county may also seek an injunction or other abatement proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a campfire anywhere in a Benton County park?
Are portable grills or camp stoves allowed?
Does this rule cover a fire pit in my own backyard?
What is the penalty for an illegal fire in a county park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Benton County
How Benton County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Benton County to another location·View the Oregon fire regulations overview
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