Fire pit rules in Hendersonville, TN — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
The Hendersonville Fire Department exempts cooking, ceremonial, and recreational fires - including backyard fire pits, chimineas, smokeless fire pits, barbecues, and outdoor fireplaces - from the open-burn permit requirement under the city's open-burning rules. The Department enforces the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) under Title 7 of the Hendersonville Municipal Code, effective July 1, 2025 (the prior adopted edition was the 2018 IFC effective June 13, 2017). IFC Section 307.4.2 requires recreational fires to be at least 25 feet from a structure or combustible material, attended at all times by an alert adult, and equipped with an extinguishment means (hose, bucket, or extinguisher) on site. The Fire Prevention Bureau (615-822-1119) is the local point of contact. Hendersonville fronts Old Hickory Lake; recreational fires on lakeside lots remain subject to the same 25-ft setback and wind-velocity limits.
Hendersonville's open-burning rules expressly exempt 'Fire used for cooking food, ceremonial, or recreational purposes, including barbecues, and outdoor fireplaces' from the controlled burn permit requirement. The Hendersonville Fire Department enforces the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) and the 2018 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code under Title 7 of the Hendersonville Municipal Code; the 2021 IFC became effective July 1, 2025, replacing the 2018 IFC that was adopted June 13, 2017. 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; local jurisdictions like Hendersonville may adopt a more recent edition. IFC Section 307.4.2 (Portable outdoor fireplaces) and 307.4.1 (Recreational fires) require that recreational fires not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material, that conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet of a structure be eliminated prior to ignition, that the fire be constantly attended by an alert adult until extinguished, and that a means of extinguishment - a portable fire extinguisher, dirt, sand, water barrel, or garden hose - be available for immediate use. The Fire Prevention Bureau is located at 225 Freehill Road and may be reached at 615-822-1119. There will be no recreational fire when sustained winds exceed 10 mph as reported by NOAA, and the Fire Marshal may declare burn bans during adverse weather (one such ban was issued in spring 2026 for extreme drought).
Fires that exceed the 25-ft setback, burn prohibited materials, are left unattended, or are conducted when the Fire Marshal has issued a burn ban are enforced by the Hendersonville Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau (615-822-1119) under Title 7 of the Hendersonville Municipal Code. Suppression units may be dispatched and the fire ordered extinguished. Open burning without a permit is subject to a $250 fine for malicious burning per the City's burn-permit policy. Fire Code violations are also enforceable by the State Fire Marshal's Office under TCA Title 68, Chapter 120.
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