Council Bluffs, IA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

CBMC 12.02.056 defines open burning as burning any material where combustion byproducts reach the outside air without first passing through a stack or chimney, and it makes open burning of refuse unlawful anywhere in the City of Council Bluffs. The ban reaches waste paper, boxes, market and garden waste, trees and tree limbs, construction lumber whether treated or untreated, automobiles and parts, and any material besides fuel burned in a furnace or boiler. The fire chief or the chief's designee enforces the section and may authorize an open fire for city public works crews, employee firefighting training, industrial firefighting instruction, and public gatherings sponsored by a civic, fraternal, religious or educational organization.

Bonfires need a separate permit and fee, a fire ring cleared of grass and weeds, an available water source, and a fifty-foot setback from any combustible or structure (or ten feet from a lot line with the neighbor's agreement); the fire chief will refuse authorization whenever conditions make the fire a safety hazard. Two narrow exceptions apply without a permit: flare stacks burning or flaring waste gases under state compliance, and prescription burns of native grasses, which still require a submitted burn plan, a written prescription and a credentialed burn boss, all approved by the fire department in advance. Outdoor fireplaces and grills used only for noncommercial food preparation, and properly set-back recreational fire pits, are separately exempted rather than treated as bonfires.