Bridgeport, CT Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Bridgeport, CT, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Default rule
- Open fires outside buildings banned
- Permit basis
- Only for material with no disposal alternative
- Air pollution alert
- Voids all exceptions
- Fine
- Up to $100 per day
Summary
Bridgeport prohibits any open fire outside a building, anywhere in the city, unless it falls under a narrow burning permit or an official-duty exception: recreational fire pits and bonfires generally don't qualify.
Except as provided in Sections 8.04.320 and 8.04.330, no person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit an open fire in any public or private place outside any building. During the existence of an air pollution alert, as may be declared by the director, all exceptions are void.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 8.04.310 makes it unlawful to "cause, suffer, allow or permit an open fire in any public or private place outside any building" anywhere in Bridgeport. The only ways around the ban are a burning permit under § 8.04.320, issued solely when there's no practical disposal alternative for material being burned, not for recreation, or the official-duty exceptions in § 8.04.330 (fire-hazard abatement, firefighter training, public-health protection). Any air pollution alert voids even those exceptions.
Violations & Fines
No specific fine is set for Chapter 8.04, so the citywide general penalty applies: up to $100 per day, with each day of continued burning a separate offense (§ 1.12.010).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a backyard fire pit in Bridgeport?
What's the penalty for an illegal open fire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bridgeport
How Bridgeport compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Bridgeport to another location·View the Connecticut fire regulations overview
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Fire Pits & Backyard Fires in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle fire pits & backyard fires.