Linn County, IA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Linn County, IA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Permit needed
- No, if requirements are met
- Size limit
- Three feet in diameter
- Fuel allowed
- Untreated wood or charcoal only
- Use
- Camping, cooking or recreational fires
Summary
Campfires and outdoor fireplaces in unincorporated Linn County are exempt from the open burning permit if they burn untreated wood, are used for recreation, and stay under three feet across.
Campfires and outdoor fireplaces burning untreated wood material, when in association with camping out, cooking, or similar related recreational activities provided that these fires comply with all other sections of this article and are no larger than three feet in diameter. c.Fires for the disposal of residential waste, but not to include rubber, tires, asphalt compounds or garbage at dwellings of four family units or less, in which fires are maintained by the occupant of the dwelling and the burning is conducted in an approved container. An approved container shall be any container which has a capacity that does not exceed 55 gallons in volume and has a one-inch spaced wire or other suitable spark arresting device for the control of windblown materials. No person shall allow, cause or permit fires for the disposal of household rubbish at dwellings of more than four family units.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Code § 10-63(a)(3)b exempts campfires and outdoor fireplaces from the county's open burning permit requirement when they're tied to camping, cooking or similar recreational use, burn only untreated wood, and measure no more than three feet in diameter. A related exemption at § 10-63(a)(3)a covers general cooking, heating or recreational fires under the same three-foot cap, limited to charcoal or clean untreated wood free of leaves and needles. Both exemptions still must comply with the article's other rules, including the odor and fugitive-dust standards.
Violations & Fines
A fire pit exceeding three feet in diameter, or burning treated wood, trash or other prohibited material, loses its exemption and becomes unpermitted open burning, which the county can order extinguished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Linn County?
Can I burn trash or treated wood in my fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Linn County
How Linn County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Linn County to another location·View the Iowa fire regulations overview
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