Fire pit rules in Colorado Springs, CO — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Colorado Springs allows any outdoor fire contained in a portable or fixed fireplace, fire pit, or appliance. At a single-family home there is no setback from your own structure, but a portable outdoor fireplace may not be operated within 15 feet of a neighboring structure or combustible material, and the fire must be constantly attended.
The City of Colorado Springs adopted the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code and its local amendments by Ordinance No. 23-14 (effective June 30, 2023), codified in City Code Section 8.4.105. Under the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) Outdoor Burning Guidelines, any outdoor fire where the fire is contained in a portable or fixed fireplace, fire pit, or appliance is permitted. If you live in a single-family home you may operate a portable outdoor fireplace with no minimum distance from your own structure or combustible material; however, it may not be operated within 15 feet of a neighboring structure or combustible material such as a tree, bush, or common fence. While the fire is burning it must be constantly attended by someone who is conscious, and a means of extinguishment (water hose line, buckets of water, or large buckets of sand) must be ready. Gas, propane, and contained appliance fires are not subject to the recreational-fire 25-foot ground clearance.
Operating a fire pit or portable outdoor fireplace in violation of the Fire Code is enforceable by the CSFD Division of the Fire Marshal, who may order the fire extinguished. CSFD can also impose a burn ban or burn restriction that suspends use of recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces when conditions are hazardous.
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