Bethlehem, PA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Bethlehem, PA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Recreational fires
- Prohibited citywide
- Legal alternative
- Approved portable outdoor fireplace only
- Fireplace setback
- 25 ft structure / 15 ft combustibles
- Enforcing agency
- Bureau of Inspections Fire Code Official
- Penalty
- Up to $5,000, or $10,000/90 days
- Adopted by
- Ord. 2022-15 (8/2/2022)
Summary
Bethlehem does not allow the backyard fire pits and bonfires most Pennsylvania fire codes permit under a 25-foot setback. Article 1501.05 rewrote IFC § 307.4.2 from a setback rule into a flat statement: recreational fires are prohibited, full stop, citywide. Homeowners are left with only manufacturer-approved portable outdoor fireplaces as an alternative.
(r) §307.4.2 of the IFC which presently reads as follows: 307.4.2 Recreational fires. Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet (7,620 mm) of a structure or combustible material. Conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet (7,620 mm) of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition. shall be amended to read as follows: 307.4.2 Recreational fires. Recreational fires are prohibited.
Full Breakdown
2 let residents hold recreational fires (fire pits, bonfires and similar outdoor fires for pleasure or warmth) so long as they stayed 25 feet from a structure or combustible material and conditions that could spread the fire were removed first. 05, clause (r), deletes that setback approach entirely and replaces it with a single sentence: recreational fires are prohibited. 3 as amended by clause (s), as the only legal open-flame option: those manufactured units must be approved, used per the manufacturer's instructions, and kept 25 feet from a structure or 15 feet from combustible material.
5's attendance rule: constant supervision until extinguished, plus a dedicated fire watch person on site for at least one hour afterward, with a rated extinguisher or equivalent suppression tool on hand. The Bureau of Inspections' Fire Code Official administers Article 1501, which was restated and re-enacted by Ordinance 2022-15, passed August 2, 2022 and effective 35 days later.
Violations & Fines
A recreational fire in Bethlehem is a fire-code violation under the amended § 110.4: fines run up to $1,000 total for the first two continual, uncorrected violations of the same subsection on a property and up to $5,000 for the third and later violations. Where the fire poses a hazard, the fire code official can pursue $500 to $10,000 per citation or up to 90 days' imprisonment, with new citations available every five days it continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a fire pit in my Bethlehem backyard?
Are portable outdoor fireplaces or chimineas still allowed?
What's the penalty for an illegal bonfire in Bethlehem?
Who enforces the recreational fire ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethlehem
How Bethlehem compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Bethlehem to another location·View the Pennsylvania fire regulations overview
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