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

Section 34-72 of the Coweta County Code of Ordinances covers recreational fires, the term the county uses for campfires and bonfires in yards and other outdoor spaces. The ordinance allows these fires both before and after dark with no permit required, a change made when Ord. No. 053-21 (adopted Dec. 2, 2021) repealed the county's old residential open-burning permit under former Sec. 34-71 and renamed Sec. 34-72 from 'Recreational burning (no permit required)' to its current title. Every recreational fire must sit inside a ring, pit, or rock border, stay no larger than six feet by six feet, and remain under the constant watch of an adult; grass clippings and leaves cannot be burned as a recreational fire.

Once the fire is no longer in attended use, the person responsible must extinguish it thoroughly rather than let it smolder out. The same section separately regulates manufactured burning devices: outdoor fireplaces, chimineas, and fire bowls must be built and operated according to the manufacturer's instructions, and none of them may run inside a structure, sit on a combustible surface, or operate within 25 feet of combustible material such as a wood fence, deck, or dry brush. Enforcement runs through Sec. 34-73, which puts the fire marshal or a designee in charge of the article and authorizes that officer to issue a citation for any violation of this or another county fire safety ordinance.

The Coweta County Fire Department also has standing authority under that section to order any residential fire extinguished on the spot if it threatens public safety, damages public or private property, or creates a nuisance or environmental harm, regardless of whether the fire otherwise complies with the size and containment rules.