Norwalk, CT Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Section 71-19 of the Norwalk Code starts from a general ban: no person may make an outdoor fire within city limits without a Fire Marshal permit. Three exceptions follow. Waste other than garbage may be burned in a closed-top standard waste burner of brick, plate iron, steel or wire, sited at least 15 feet from any structure and at least 3 feet from any property line, with minimum gauge and mesh-size specs for metal burners. Garbage may only be burned in an appliance or incinerator designed for that purpose, approved by the National Board of Fire Underwriters or the American Gas Association.

Cooking fires, the fire-pit category, are allowed in an outdoor fireplace or barbecue pit built to confine the fire and located so it doesn't create a fire hazard, with no permit required for that specific use. For any other outdoor fire that does need a permit, § 71-20 lets the Fire Marshal weigh wind conditions, the type and condition of material to be burned, quantity, proximity to dwellings and outbuildings, and available control precautions before granting it. Under § 71-21, the application itself can be made and decided orally on the spot, with a written confirmation issued only if the permit is granted.