Palatine, IL Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Section 22-119(a) of the Palatine Village Code opens the village's fire regulations by declaring it unlawful to build or light any bonfire, or to burn rubbish, leaves or other combustible refuse anywhere in the village, without a permit, unless the fire is contained in an approved fireplace or fire pit. That carve-out is what allows a backyard fire pit or outdoor fireplace to operate without the permit that any other open flame would require, so long as the unit itself is an approved fireplace or fire pit rather than an open pile of debris.

The same section's regulations in subsection (c) reinforce that a fire pit is not a license to burn general refuse: it remains unlawful to light or maintain any outdoor fire to burn construction material, wood, papers, paper goods, cardboard or plastics, except as the adopted International Fire Code allows, and outdoor cooking is confined to grills or other structures and appliances that are designed and listed for that purpose. The section was last amended by Ord. No. O-141-23 on December 4, 2023, replacing the older 1961 and 1976 code sections it traces to (§§ 25.015, 25.018 and 12-41 through 12-43).

Because § 22-119 sits in chapter 22's article IV on offenses involving public safety, a violation is enforced under the chapter's general penalty in Sec. 22-234, a fine set by village ordinance or resolution, and the village can bill the owner the cost of any abatement it has to perform.