Cranston, RI Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Cranston, RI, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Setback for cooking fires
- 10 feet from property line
- Enclosure required
- Brick, masonry, metal, noncombustible
- Supervision
- Adult must attend at all times
- Penalty
- Up to $200 fine or 30 days
- Governing section
- § 8.08.200, adopted 2017
Summary
Cranston bans open fires citywide except barbecue, fireplace or grill cooking kept ten feet from property lines in a noncombustible enclosure, plus fire department training burns.
No person shall kindle or maintain any fire or authorize any such fire to be kindled or maintained in the city of Cranston with the following exceptions:
A. Cooking of food on barbecues, fireplaces or grills shall at least be ten (10) feet from the property line of each adjacent owner. Homeowners should make themselves aware of the current fire code (and subsequent amendments which may follow) which states that homeowners shall not have any fire within ten (10) feet of a structure or building.
1. All cooking and/or fire features must be contained in an enclosure that is constructed from brick, masonry, metal or other non-combustible material.
2. No trash, leaves, stumps, treated, pained or varnished or otherwise coated lumber or material shall be burned.
3. An adult must be in attendance at all times the cooking equipment is in use.
4. Existing permanent cooking structures are allowed to remain if in working condition in 2017.
B. Fires authorized by the fire department for the purpose of training firefighters and retarding the spread of fires. (Ord. 2017-42, § 1, 12/18/2017) [1] Editor's note: These provisions were originally enacted as § 28.1 but were renumbered as § 8.08.200.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4824304; v14 updated 2026-05-18).
Full Breakdown
Cranston's fire code bars kindling or maintaining any open fire citywide. The only exceptions: barbecue, fireplace or grill cooking kept at least ten feet from the neighboring property line, contained in a brick, masonry, metal or other noncombustible enclosure, with an adult present and no trash, leaves, stumps or treated/painted lumber burned; and fires the fire department sets to train firefighters. No provision exempts campfires, bonfires or agricultural burning. Violations fall under the general municipal penalty: a fine up to $200.00 or up to 30 days imprisonment, since Chapter 8.08 sets no separate fine.
Violations & Fines
Cranston's fire code sets no specific fine for § 8.08.200, so the citywide general penalty applies: up to $200.00 or up to 30 days imprisonment under § 1.08.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a bonfire or campfire in Cranston?
How close to my property line can I grill?
Can I burn yard waste or trash in a fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cranston
How Cranston compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Cranston to another location·View the Rhode Island fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle outdoor burning.