Muskegon County, MI Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Fires on Muskegon County park property are confined to the spots the county sets aside for them. Section 8(1)(a) of the Parks Ordinance, adopted June 14, 2022, bars a person from building a fire except in grills, fireplaces, fire rings, or other areas specifically provided and identified for that purpose, so a fire pit dug or built anywhere else in a county park, including a campsite, is a rule violation regardless of size. Where a pedestal grill is provided, Section 8(1)(b) narrows what can go in it further: the grill may be used only for cooking, and only charcoal and lighter fluid may fuel it, ruling out wood fires, gas-soaked debris or other accelerants in that equipment.

Section 8(1)(c) adds a standing-watch requirement rather than a measured distance: a cooking fire or campfire can never be left unattended, and it must be extinguished once it is no longer in use. The ordinance does not set a numeric setback from tents, structures or property lines for a permitted fire; the controlling limit is location, only the designated grill, fireplace or fire ring, rather than distance. 78, on top of any county penalty. Muskegon County Parks and Recreation staff and Sheriff's Office deputies enforce the fire rules under Sections 1 and 21, and a camper's fire privileges can be pulled along with the campsite itself if the rules are broken.