Taylorsville, UT Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Section 9.36.010(B)(2) of the Air Pollution Control chapter carves recreational fire pits out of the city's general open-burning ban: "Campfires and fires used solely for recreational purposes, where such fires are under the control of a responsible adult. Anyone planning a fire larger than can be safely confined to a fire ring no larger than three feet (3') in diameter will be required to obtain a special permit. Bonfires, fires built to burn Christmas trees, rally fires and similar fires are prohibited." The three-foot measurement runs to the diameter of the containing ring, not the height of the flame, so a wide, low fire pit can trip the permit requirement even when the fire itself is small.

A responsible adult must be in control of the fire at all times; the chapter does not set a minimum age, but leaves an unsupervised or child-tended fire outside the permit-free allowance. Anyone wanting a larger fire, such as for an event or bonfire-style gathering, must obtain the special permit referenced in subsection C from the Salt Lake Valley Fire Department, now part of the Unified Fire Authority. Bonfires, Christmas tree burns and rally fires are barred outright regardless of ring size, so a permit does not revive those specific categories.

Because chapter 9.36 sets no separate fine, exceeding the three-foot limit without a permit defaults to the citywide misdemeanor penalty in section 1.08.020: up to six months in the county jail, a fine under $1,000, or both, corporations up to $5,000.