Charlottesville, VA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

City Code § 12-32(a)(8) generally bans open fires outside a building, but subsections (c) and (d) carve out two allowances relevant to a backyard fire pit. Under (c), open fires may be set within approved outdoor fireplaces, provided the fireplace has a screened burn chamber and a chimney fitted with a spark-arrestor screen; the same clause lets outdoor workers use salamanders and similar heating devices, but only if no smoke hazard or nuisance results and the device sits at least 15 feet from any structure.

Under (d), a separate recreational or ceremonial fire, such as a bonfire that is not built inside an approved fireplace structure, needs the fire marshal's advance approval and must not create a smoke violation or nuisance. Subsection (e) layers a general safety floor on top of both allowances: wherever open burning is permitted, it must be constantly monitored until extinguished, extinguishing equipment must be on hand, and the fire chief keeps standing authority to order any fire put out, or to prohibit open burning outright, whenever smoke reduces highway visibility, threatens adjacent property, or otherwise creates a hazard or nuisance.

The Charlottesville Fire Department, through the fire marshal, is the point of contact for the recreational-fire approval and for judging whether a device meets the spark-arrestor and setback requirements.