Rochester Hills, MI Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Section 307.6.4, part of the fire code rewrite adopted under Code Section 58-58(b), allows a recreational fire on detached residential properties at any time of year between 8:00 a.m. and midnight. An annual permit is required under Section 307.6.4.1, requested by and issued only to the owner of the land where the fire will take place; the fee is set under Section 54-200. The permit has to be obtained online at www.rochesterhills.org/fire before the fire is set. Size and duration are fixed: the fire can't exceed 3 feet in diameter or 2 feet in height, and it can't burn longer than 3 hours.

Fuel is limited to dry seasoned firewood, charcoal or commercial fire logs, though a small amount of paper can be used to ignite it. Location matters as much as size: recreational fires are barred from any public road right-of-way or pedestrian-bicycle pathway outright, and everywhere else they must sit at least 50 feet from any structure and 25 feet from any property line. Like open burning, a recreational fire has to be constantly attended, with a portable fire extinguisher rated at least 4-A, or comparable equipment such as a garden hose, water barrel or water truck, on hand for immediate use until the fire is fully out. If a resident lets the fire burn unattended or outside a permit's terms, the fire department can order it extinguished on the spot.