Franklin, TN Fire Regulations: Fire Pit Rules (2026)

The Franklin Fire Marshal's Office distinguishes between three categories of outdoor fire under Title 7, Chapter 2 (Fire Code) of the Franklin Municipal Code: (1) above-ground appliances - fire pits, chimineas, and smokeless fire pits - which do not require a permit; (2) campfires and bonfires, which require a burn permit issued by the Fire Marshal's Office and are restricted to approved recreational settings; and (3) open burning of brush, yard waste, or trash, which is prohibited inside Franklin city limits. The Franklin Fire Department's Fire Marshal's Office is located at 109 3rd Avenue South and may be reached at 615-791-3270. The Department enforces the 2024 edition of the International Fire Code (IFC) - including Appendices B, C, and D - and the 2024 edition of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code under Title 7, Chapter 2 of the Franklin Municipal Code; prior to recent updates the City had adopted the 2018 IFC effective January 1, 2019. Tennessee Code Annotated 68-120-101 establishes the 2018 IBC/IRC/IFC family as the statewide minimum building construction safety standard, administered by the State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO) within the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The IFC's recreational-fire provisions (Section 307) generally limit recreational fires to a fuel package no larger than 3 ft in diameter and 2 ft in height, with a 25-ft setback from structures and combustibles, attended at all times by an able adult with an extinguishment means - these standards apply through the City's adoption of the IFC.