Mosinee, WI Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Mosinee, WI, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Cooking devices
- Allowed without a permit under Sec. 34-7(b)(1)
- Bonfires/campfires
- Need fire chief's prior written approval
- Chief's override
- Can ban all bonfires during hazardous conditions
- Street burning
- Never allowed on streets, curbs, or sidewalks
- Default penalty
- $25-$500 forfeiture, first offense (Sec. 1-13)
Summary
All outdoor fire is banned in the City of Mosinee except for listed exceptions. Cooking over a device built for that purpose needs no permit, but a ceremonial campfire or bonfire needs the fire chief's prior written approval, and the chief can attach safety conditions to that approval.
(1)Outdoor cooking over a fire contained in a device or structure designed for such use. ... (3)Ceremonial campfires or bonfires, with prior written approval of the fire chief.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 34-7(a) bans building any outdoor fire within the corporate limits of the City of Mosinee except as the exceptions in subsection (b) allow. Subsection (b)(1) exempts outdoor cooking over a fire contained in a device or structure built for that purpose, so a standard cooking-style fire pit or grill needs no city approval. Subsection (b)(3) treats a ceremonial campfire or bonfire differently: it needs the fire chief's prior written approval before anyone lights it. Subsection (b)(5) lets the chief grant single-occasion approval for other desirable outdoor burning not otherwise listed, so long as it is not a substitute for available refuse removal, and subsection (b)(6) lets the chief attach safety restrictions to any approval issued under (b)(2), (b)(3), or (b)(5).
Subsection (c) gives the chief a separate, broader power: prohibiting any or all bonfires and outdoor rubbish fires citywide whenever atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make them hazardous, regardless of any approval already granted. Subsection (d) bars burning on any street, curb, gutter, or sidewalk, and subsection (e) puts liability for damage from an outdoor fire on the person who lit or maintained it. Because Chapter 34 carries no penalty section of its own for open burning, a violation falls under the city's general penalty in Sec. 1-13.
Violations & Fines
Because Chapter 34 has no penalty clause of its own, an unapproved bonfire or an outdoor fire outside the listed exceptions is punished under the general penalty in Sec. 1-13: a forfeiture of $25.00 to $500.00 for a first offense and $50.00 to $1,000.00 for a second offense within a year, plus prosecution costs, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a fire pit in my Mosinee backyard?
Do I need a permit for a bonfire in Mosinee?
Can Mosinee ban fire pits during dry weather?
Who is liable if a Mosinee outdoor fire causes damage?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mosinee
How Mosinee compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Mosinee to another location·View the Wisconsin fire regulations overview
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Fire Pits & Backyard Fires in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Marathon County handle fire pits & backyard fires.