Plymouth, MN Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

City Code § 940.13, Subd. 2 exempts Camp/Recreational Fires from the Open Burn Permit required by § 940.01, but only if they meet strict site and conduct rules enforced by the Plymouth Fire Department. The fire ring itself can measure no more than three feet in diameter, measured from the inside of the ring or border, and must be fully enclosed by non-combustible, non-smoke-producing material such as natural rock, cement, brick, tile or ferrous-metal block, built below grade, at grade, or on a raised bed; permanent outdoor wood-burning fireplaces must meet the same specifications. The site cannot sit closer than 25 feet to any structure.

Once lit, the fire may burn only clean wood or charcoal: no trash, leaves or brush. The person burning must keep fire-extinguishing equipment such as a sand or dirt bucket, shovel or garden hose on hand, and someone knowledgeable in using that equipment must attend the fire constantly until it is completely out. Residents also have to account for weather, neighbors, burning bans and air quality so the fire does not create a nuisance or safety hazard. Recreational fires are barred outright whenever the Minnesota DNR rates fire danger at or above VERY HIGH, and § 940.15 shuts them down entirely during any City- or DNR-declared burning ban or an MPCA Air Quality Alert. Fires used for firefighter training under Fire Department supervision, and fires at DNR-permitted burn sites, are separately exempted under Subd. 1 and Subd. 3 of the same section.