Lawton, OK Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Section 15-1-114, "Bonfires," is the only provision in Lawton's Code of Ordinances that authorizes an open recreational fire, and it treats every bonfire as discretionary rather than automatic. Subsection A requires a permit from the city before anyone builds a bonfire anywhere in the city. Subsection B requires the city to inspect the premises where the bonfire will be held before issuing that permit, specifically to determine whether holding the bonfire there would create a fire hazard; the city can deny the permit on that finding.

Subsection C narrows the calendar and staffing further: permits are "restricted to Saturdays," and the applicant must arrange for at least one fire department member to be present at the bonfire, paid for at the permittee's expense rather than the city's. Because the ordinance sets no minimum or maximum bonfire size and does not separately license small contained fire pits, the permit-and-inspection scheme in Section 15-1-114 is the operative rule for any open recreational fire in the city, including backyard fire pits built large enough to require a permit rather than a small manufactured appliance.

A resident who wants to burn wood outdoors for a gathering needs the permit and the inspection first, must schedule for a Saturday, and must have a firefighter on site for the duration.