Salt Lake City, UT Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Salt Lake City, UT, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- No permit needed
- Small controlled campfires/recreational fires
- Permit required
- Fires larger than the code size limit
- Banned outright
- Bonfires, rally fires, Christmas-tree burns
- Enforcing agency
- Salt Lake Valley Health Department
- Max corporate fine
- $5,000 per day violating
Summary
Salt Lake City lets residents burn campfires and recreational fires without a permit only if a responsible person controls them and they stay within the size set for a recreational fire: bonfires and rally fires are banned outright.
Campfires and fires used solely for recreational purposes where such fires are under the control of a responsible person. Anyone planning a fire larger than that defined in section 9.24.030 of this chapter, or its successor section, will be required to obtain a special permit. Bonfires, fires built to burn Christmas trees, rally fires and similar fires are prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under the city's air pollution control ordinance, campfires and fires used solely for recreational purposes are allowed without a permit if kept under the control of a responsible person and sized within the recreational-fire limit the chapter defines. Anyone planning a bigger fire must get a special permit from the Salt Lake Valley health department first. Bonfires, Christmas-tree burns, rally fires, and similar large open fires are prohibited outright, permit or not. Outdoor cooking devices like grills and fireplaces are separately exempt.
Violations & Fines
Violating the open-burning rules is a misdemeanor; a corporate violator can be fined up to $5,000, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a backyard fire pit in Salt Lake City without a permit?
Are bonfires allowed in Salt Lake City backyards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
How Salt Lake City compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Salt Lake City to another location·View the Utah fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.