Decatur, GA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

The City's open burning provision, UDO Sec. B, bans open burning of leaves, rubbish, or trash citywide except for a short list of exceptions, one of which covers recreational fires in commercially available chimineas or outdoor fireplaces. Sec. 10 sets four conditions: the device must be used according to its intended use and the manufacturer's recommendations; it must have a chimney, screen, or other approved spark-arresting method, and may only burn untreated wood, lumber, manufactured fire logs, or charcoal (no trash, no treated lumber); it cannot be operated inside a structure, on a combustible surface or balcony, or within 25 feet of combustible construction; and it must sit on a non-combustible surface to catch sparks.

This section sits inside Decatur's fire district provisions, so it applies citywide, not just in residential zones. The rule is written for chimineas and outdoor fireplaces specifically, meaning devices burning wood, manufactured logs, or charcoal in an enclosed hearth-style unit; it does not by its terms cover propane or gas-fired patio devices. Violation of any part of Sec. 1 is punished under Sec. D, which ties back to the Code of Ordinances general penalty section. Because the fire district map and its notations are incorporated into Sec. A, enforcement officers can point to a specific mapped boundary when determining that the open burning restrictions apply to a given address.