Irondequoit, NY Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

In the Town of Irondequoit, Monroe County, New York, Chapter 69 is titled the Air Pollution Control Ordinance of the Town of Irondequoit. Its open-fire rule, § 69-6, prohibits burning in the open any matter, including trash, rubbish, leaves, garbage, grass, refuse, trees, automobiles, rubber, railroad ties, demolition or construction materials and materials for salvage purposes, when the burning emits an air contaminant into the atmosphere of the Town. Three kinds of fire sit outside that ban: open fires used for preparing food for human beings, campfires, and fires for other recreational purposes. The condition attached to all three is that the fire does not create a nuisance. Section 69-6 prints no diameter, height or setback figure for a backyard fire.

The permit side is in Chapter 98. Section 98-30(B)(18) lists open burning on any public street, alley, road, or other public or private ground among the activities that need an operating permit, with the exception of recreational fires as defined in the Fire Code. A permit holder must follow the instructions and stipulations of the permit, and permit fees are set under Chapter 1, § 1-18. Applications go to the Fire Marshal or the Building Inspector, as § 98-10 provides.

Town parks and other Town property are stricter. Under § 164-6(N), a recreational fire is allowed only in an area designated by the Commissioner of Public Works or his or her designee. The printed definition covers fuel that is not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, portable outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill or barbecue pit, with a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height. Section 164-6(O), amended 6-20-2023 by L.L. No. 5-2023, bars portable outdoor solid-fuel-burning fireplaces on Town property altogether, and § 164-6(P) prohibits cooking grills there unless the Town is directly supervising a special event. Section 164-5 also closes Town property from 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. unless otherwise posted or authorized in writing by the Commissioner of Public Works.