Shawnee County, KS Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Shawnee County Code Sec. " Section 17-26(a) lets any resident light a backyard fire pit, chiminea, or barbecue "without a burn permit or prior authorization," skipping the registration and one-hour call-in that ordinary open burns require under Sec. 17-23. Four conditions still apply under Sec. 17-26(b): the burn cannot be started when the "rangeland fire danger index is VERY HIGH OR EXTREME" or the National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning; someone "of suitable age and discretion" must watch the fire from ignition until it is fully out; adequate fire extinguishing equipment or material must be on hand the entire time; and the burn must still comply with all other applicable federal, state, and local rules.

Recreational fires meet the code's broader definition of "open burning" in Sec. 17-21, so they are not automatically excused from a countywide burn ban under Sec. 17-27; only training burns and safety-flare disposal under Sec. 17-26(e)-(f) are named exceptions to a ban. The same section separately lets residents burn household trash without a permit in an "acceptable metal container," a non-combustible container with a maximum 55-gallon volume, a quarter-inch screen or one-inch vent holes, set on bare soil or non-combustible ground with ten feet of clearance in every direction, and likewise attended and equipped with extinguishing tools throughout.