Nicholasville, KY Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

The recreational fire rule sits in section 8-41.4.1, titled Open burning within city limits (residential). Subsection (c) says the open burning provisions shall not apply to burning done for cooking food for human consumption, recreational or ceremonial purposes, or as a "keep warm" fire on construction sites during cold-weather months, so long as the fire is located within a container suitable for that purpose and under continuous supervision. The exemption rests on two conditions: a suitable container and continuous supervision.

The same section sets the physical limits for open fires. Subsection (i) bars any open fire larger than four feet in diameter by three feet high except as outlined in section 8-41.4.2, the land-clearing section. Subsection (j) bars any open fire within twenty-five feet in all directions of any structure, fence or property line. The text of subsection (c) does not say whether the exemption lifts those two limits, so the printed figures are the ones to plan around, and the Nicholasville Fire Department is the office to ask.

Other subsections apply to fires on woodlands, lots, subdivisions, grasslands, fields or public right-of-way within the city. Under subsection (k), the fire cannot be left without a competent adult attending until it is completely extinguished, an approved fire extinguisher or other means such as a garden hose must be present, and a telephone or other means of contacting the fire department must be readily available. Subsection (f) prohibits burning anything other than naturally occurring vegetation or untreated wood products and strictly prohibits flammable liquids or materials that produce dense smoke to ignite the fire. Subsection (h) prohibits a fire whenever it could spread beyond the control of the person who started it, and particulate matter from the burn can never be deposited on the property of others. Subsection (g) requires the fire to be wholly contained within an incinerator, outside fireplace, grill or other receptacle suitable to the purpose and approved by the fire department. Subsection (l) sets the clock: no open fire before 8:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m., with fire department discretion during the Forest Service burn season, when burning is permitted only from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.