Honolulu County, HI Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

1 folds recreational fire pits into the city's open burning rules; the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) can prohibit any open burning it determines is hazardous. 1 sets seven compliance tracks for different open-burning purposes. For 'Fires for Recreational, Decorative, or Ceremonial Purposes,' the person responsible must obtain written permission from the property owner, submit a letter to the AHJ for approval at least 14 days before the event stating the date, time, and location of the fire, and notify HFD's Fire Communication Center 15 minutes before lighting it.

The same 14-day letter and 15-minute call-in apply to fires used to abate a hazard, control disease or pests, or dispose of dangerous materials, while cooking fires (such as an imu) and residential bathing fires need only the 15-minute FCC notice. 2 places responsibility for the fire on the person who ignites and maintains it. 3 separately bans private incinerators outright under state health law, except for closed incinerators approved by the State Department of Health and built to NFPA 82. There is no islandwide exception for backyard fire pits: even a small recreational fire is 'open burning' the AHJ may prohibit as a hazard, and skipping the owner's permission, the 14-day letter, or the 15-minute call exposes the person responsible to code enforcement.