Kenosha, WI Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

19(B)(5) of the Fire Prevention Bureau chapter permits "Recreational Fires contained within outdoor fireplaces or fire pits" subject to a detailed list of conditions. The property owner's permission is required before lighting; fireplaces must have a bowl with supports to ensure clearances to combustibles, and fire pits need an enclosure, heavy screen or spark arrestor to control embers and sparks. Both must sit at least 15 feet from a building or lot line, on a stable, level surface, never on a wood deck, porch, or patio.

Only clean, dry wood may be burned, no trash, yard waste, or construction materials, and if the unit runs on propane, only propane may be burned in it. A fire extinguisher or garden hose must be on hand, a responsible adult must supervise the fire at all times and fully extinguish it before leaving, and burning is barred whenever the Wisconsin DNR rates air quality worse than moderate or wind exceeds 15 miles per hour. , except propane units, which are exempt from that curfew.

Fire and police officials retain discretion to order any fire extinguished at any time. 19(E), which authorizes forfeitures of $100 to $1,000 plus prosecution costs, with jail time of up to 60 days for nonpayment.