Osceola County, FL Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Osceola County, FL, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Ban trigger
- KBDI at 500 or higher plus herbaceous stage one cured
- Early declaration
- County manager or designee, before the index reaches 500
- Extension
- Seven-day increments while KBDI stays at 500 or higher
- Ban lapses
- After KBDI is below 500 for 7 consecutive days
- First violation
- Written warning
- Second and later violations
- $250.00 fine per violation
- Maximum civil penalty
- $500.00 per violation under Chapter 7, Article II
Summary
During an Osceola County burn ban, Section 10-78 prohibits outdoor burning of yard trash, bonfires, campfires, warning fires and cooking fires. Only two paths stay open: authorization from the Florida Division of Forestry, or cooking food exclusively within a contained gas or charcoal grill. A first violation draws a written warning, and each later violation carries a $250 fine.
(a) The outdoor burning of yard trash, bonfires, campfires, warning fires, and cooking fires within Osceola County, during a burn ban, is prohibited unless: (1) Authorized by the Florida Division of Forestry; or (2) Cooking of food exclusively within a contained gas or charcoal grill. ... (b) Subject to the following exceptions, the sale or discharge of a firework by any person or entity within Osceola County, during a burn ban, is hereby prohibited for the purpose of preventing wildfires during drought conditions. ... (2) The fireworks ban shall not include the sale or use of hand-held sparklers. (3) The fireworks ban shall not include a public fireworks display done by a licensed contractor who has completed the county permitting process under the Osceola County Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71 | Land Development Code: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
The rule that decides whether a fire pit can be lit is the burn ban in Article IV, Open Burning. Section 10-77(a) triggers a ban when the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) is at five hundred (500) or higher and the herbaceous stage within the county is declared at stage one cured. Under 10-77(b), the county manager or designee can declare a ban earlier, before the index reaches 500, after weighing local and regional conditions, whether contiguous counties have bans in effect, and consultation with the fire chief and/or division of forestry.
Once a ban is in force, Section 10-78(a) prohibits the outdoor burning of yard trash, bonfires, campfires, warning fires, and cooking fires within Osceola County. The ordinance does not use the words "fire pit," so a pit is judged by what is burning in it: a wood fire for warmth or recreation is a campfire or bonfire, and it is barred for the length of the ban. The two exceptions are authorization by the Florida Division of Forestry, and cooking of food exclusively within a contained gas or charcoal grill. Cooking over an open pit does not qualify, because the grill must be contained.
The ban does not run on a fixed calendar. Under 10-77(d) it extends in seven-day increments for as long as the KBDI stays at 500 or higher and the herbaceous stage is above stage one cured. Under 10-77(e) it lapses only after the index has fallen below 500 for at least seven (7) consecutive days and the herbaceous stage is above stage one cured. Under 10-77(c), if the index never reaches 500 and neighboring counties lift their bans with the fire chief and/or division of forestry concurring, the ban shall not be extended.
Section 10-80 assigns public notice of the institution or rescission of a ban to the Public Safety Public Information Office, by press release and on the county website. Section 10-81 applies the article in unincorporated Osceola County, and in incorporated areas to the extent it does not conflict with a municipal ordinance covering the same subject.
Violations & Fines
Setting a prohibited fire, or selling or discharging a prohibited firework, is a violation under Section 10-79(a). A first violation brings a written warning. Second and subsequent violations carry a fine of $250.00 per violation. The code enforcement board hears these cases and punishes them as provided in Chapter 7, Article I, and the county can also pursue injunctive, declaratory or other civil remedies. Under the supplemental procedures in Chapter 7, Article II, the maximum civil penalty is $500.00 per violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I light my backyard fire pit during an Osceola County burn ban?
Can I still grill or cook outdoors during the ban?
How does the county decide when a burn ban starts and ends?
What is the penalty for breaking the burn ban?
Do fireworks and sparklers fall under the same ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Osceola County
How Osceola County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Osceola County to another location·View the Florida fire regulations overview
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