Youngstown, OH Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Chapter 1511 of the Youngstown Codified Ordinances, the city's Open Burning chapter, defines a 'recreational fire' at Section 1511.01(l) as an outdoor fire burning materials other than rubbish, not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill or barbecue pit, with a total fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height, set for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes. Section 1511.05(g)(2)(B) sets the mandatory clearance: a recreational fire meeting that size limit 'shall not be conducted within 25 feet ... of a structure or combustible material,' and any condition that could let the fire spread within that ring must be eliminated before lighting it.

That 25-foot distance is shorter than the 50-foot clearance the same subsection sets for bonfires, since a fire pit's smaller fuel area is treated as a lower hazard. Section 1511.05(h) requires that any recreational fire be constantly attended until fully out, with at least one portable fire extinguisher rated 4-A, or an equivalent like a garden hose, sand or a water barrel, kept on hand. Section 1511.05(c) lists the only fires needing a Fire Code Official permit before lighting: silvicultural, range or wildlife-management burns, disease or pest-control burns, and bonfires; a recreational fire meeting the size and distance rules is not among them. Violating any part of Chapter 1511, including the setback, is a criminal offense under Section 1511.99.