Gretna, LA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Article II of Chapter 24, Open Burning, declares it the city's policy under § 24-21 to protect the open air and promote public health and safety. Against that backdrop, § 24-24 carves out three permissible fire types notwithstanding the article's other provisions: cooking fires, recreational open fires such as campfires, and wood-burning fireplaces or stoves used for heating, each conditioned on creating no nuisance. The code enforcement official is charged under § 24-22 with enforcing the article, issuing orders necessary to carry out its purpose, and making nuisance findings that the city council can review in open session; § 24-23 gives that official authority to enter and inspect any property or premises at a reasonable time to check compliance.

Because a recreational fire's legality turns entirely on the nuisance test rather than a fixed distance or size limit, a backyard fire pit that draws smoke, noise or safety complaints from neighbors can be found in violation even without a separate numeric setback in this code. There is no permit requirement or minimum lot-line distance printed for a residential fire pit in Gretna's ordinances; the rule is a conditional allowance, not a licensing scheme.