Montgomery County, MD Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Montgomery County, MD, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Setback from buildings
- 30 feet (cooking fires at single-family homes exempt)
- Clear space required
- 10-foot diameter around the fire
- Attendance
- Must be attended until fully extinguished
- Notification
- Central fire communication center for open fires
- Enforcement
- Misdemeanor under Chapter 22
Summary
Recreational and cooking fires must stay 30 feet from any building, with a 10-foot clear space kept around the fire and someone attending it at all times.
Except for those fires used for cooking food on property occupied by a single family dwelling open fires shall not be less than thirty (30) feet from any building or structure. A clear space free of ignitable materials not less than ten (10) feet in diameter shall be maintained around the fire.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-90: Montgomery County Code contains legislation effective through May 7, 2026 | Zoning Updated Effective: April 13, 2026 | COMCOR Regulations effective as of July 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
County Code Sec. 22-88 sets the ground rules for open fires, including recreational fires: the fire must be attended until fully extinguished, and except for cooking fires at a single-family home, it has to be at least 30 feet from any building or structure, with a 10-foot-diameter clear space free of ignitable material maintained around it. Garbage, tires, plastic and other dense-smoke materials can't be burned, and burning on public roads, streets or rights-of-way is banned outright. Anyone kindling an open fire (other than leaf burning, cooking fires or recreational fires) must first notify the central fire communication center; burning that continues past one day requires notifying Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service before 8 a.m. each day. No one may kindle a fire on another's land without the owner's permission.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the Fire Safety Code are enforced by the Fire Marshal's office (Division of Fire and Rescue Services) and are misdemeanors under Chapter 22's penalty provisions; the Director can order burning stopped at any time it's deemed a fire hazard.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a fire pit be from my house in Montgomery County?
Do I need to notify anyone before lighting a fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
How Montgomery County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Maryland fire regulations overview
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