Muncie, IN Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Muncie's bonfire rule, Section 91.21, lets residents outside the downtown "number 1 zone of the street cleaning department" light a bonfire only inside a wire, metal, concrete or similar nonflammable container fitted with a wire or metal cover, positioned at least ten feet from any building or combustible material, and burning only between sunrise and sunset. The distance and container rules do not apply if someone stays in constant attendance of the fire, so a supervised backyard fire pit built without an enclosed container can still be lawful if never left unattended.

The rule carves out one area where no bonfire is allowed at any time regardless of container or attendance: the district bounded by the alleys of Franklin and High Streets to the west, Madison and Elm Streets to the east, North and Gilbert Streets to the north, and the Nickle Plate Railroad to the south, plus the broader number 1 zone of the street cleaning department. Because Section 91.21 sets no fine of its own, a violation is punished under the fire code's general penalty, Section 91.99(A): a fine of not less than $10.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense, with every day a prohibited bonfire condition continues counted as a separate violation. The bureau of fire prevention, inside the Muncie Fire Department, enforces the section alongside the police department where fire-exit and obstruction rules overlap.