Fire pit rules in Des Plaines, IL — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Des Plaines City Code 5-2-5 bans open burning of garbage, refuse, and yard waste but carves out an exception for noncommercial cooking and for UL-listed, approved outdoor wood-burning fireplaces or fire pits. State rule 35 Ill. Adm. Code 237.120 separately permits small recreational fires as long as no garbage is burned.
Des Plaines lies in Cook County, where the Illinois landscape-waste burning exemption does not apply (open burning of landscape waste is barred in any county over 400,000 population and within 40 air miles of Chicago). City Code section 5-2-5 ('Burning Trash, Leaves, Combustible Matter') prohibits burning garbage, refuse, or yard waste, but excepts noncommercial cooking of food in outdoor fireplaces or grills and the use of UL-listed and approved outdoor wood-burning fireplaces or fire pits. Operating a fire pit therefore turns on two conditions: the device must be UL-listed/approved, and only clean wood (not leaves, grass, refuse, or trash) may be burned. The state recreational-fire exemption at 35 Ill. Adm. Code 237.120 confirms that campfire, recreational, and cooking fires are allowed where consistent with local law, 'provided that no garbage shall be burned in such cases.'
Burning prohibited materials, or using a non-listed device, is a city code violation enforced by Des Plaines Code Enforcement and the Fire Department; municipal ordinance violations are generally punishable by fine under the City Code general penalty. A fire that produces smoke pollution can additionally violate the Illinois Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS 5/9).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Des Plaines, IL
Des Plaines City Code 6-2-7(E) applies its dBA limits to vehicles and equipment on the public right of way (excessive at 65 dBA daytime / 50 dBA quiet hours ...
Des Plaines, IL
Des Plaines City Code 6-2-7(F) makes it unlawful to operate any sound-production or amplification device whose sound crosses a property line and raises total...
Des Plaines, IL
Outdoor music in Des Plaines falls under Title 6, Chapter 6's amplified-sound provisions. Backyard gatherings with amplified music must comply with the 10 PM...
Des Plaines, IL
Des Plaines City Code Title 12 (Zoning) and Title 8 (Building) require residential driveways to be paved with approved hard-surface materials and meet width ...
Des Plaines, IL
Des Plaines prohibits feeding deer, coyotes, raccoons, and other wild animals that creates a nuisance or attracts dangerous wildlife. Bird feeding is general...
Des Plaines, IL
Des Plaines City Code prohibits keeping horses, cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other livestock in all residential and most commercial districts. Only tradi...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Cook County.
See how other cities in Cook County handle fire pit rules.
See how Des Plaines's fire pit rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.