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

Because § 92.150 bans open burning citywide, § 92.151 of the Fire Prevention Code carves out the exceptions that make a backyard fire pit or cooking fire legal in Noblesville. Under § 92.151(A), fires used for recreational or cooking purposes are permitted, but only with the prior approval of the Fire Chief or a designee, the same approval track used for Twelfth Night ceremonies, school pep rallies, and scouting activities. Once approved, § 92.151(B) attaches conditions to every exempted fire: only wood products may be burned, the fire must be attended at all times until completely extinguished, it must be put out if it creates an air pollution problem, a nuisance, or a fire hazard, it cannot be lit during unfavorable weather such as temperature inversions, high winds, or air stagnation, and it must be kept a minimum of 25 feet from any combustible material or structure.

The Fire Chief can also require additional safeguards, such as standby fire personnel or apparatus, for higher-hazard burning described elsewhere in § 92.151(C), with the petitioner covering any added cost. The Noblesville Fire Department's Fire Prevention Bureau reviews approval requests and can revoke permission on the spot if conditions change, such as rising winds or emerging smoke complaints from neighbors. These conditions apply on top of, not instead of, the general prohibition in § 92.150, so an unapproved fire pit is treated as illegal burning regardless of the 25-foot setback.