Lakewood, OH Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Under Lakewood Codified Ordinances Section 1503.03, outdoor burning is allowed for cooking food for human consumption using appliances designed for cooking with charcoal, wood, stove fuel, or cooking gas when permitted by the property owner, without notification to or permission from the Ohio EPA or the Chief of Fire. However, charcoal burners utilizing charcoal briquettes, including wood chips, shall not be operated on balconies, porches, and decks or within ten feet of any combustible material or structure or within fifteen feet of the public right-of-way. Section 1503.01 requires 'attendance' at all open burning, meaning the constant presence of a responsible person in the immediate vicinity with a minimum of one portable fire extinguisher having a minimum 4-A rating, or other approved on-site fire-extinguishing equipment such as dirt, sand, a water barrel, a garden hose, or a water tank truck available for immediate use. Ceremonial fires require a permit issued to the landowner by the Chief of Fire.