Gretna, LA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Article II of Chapter 24 sets a general policy under § 24-21 to protect the open air and promote the health, safety and welfare of Gretna residents. Section 24-25 then states the operative prohibition: no person may burn refuse or kindle an open fire in any public or private place outside any building. This is the article's default rule, and it is read alongside the narrow exceptions in § 24-24, which permit only cooking fires, recreational open fires such as campfires, and wood-burning fireplaces or stoves used for heating, each conditioned on creating no nuisance.

Burning household trash, yard debris or construction refuse outdoors falls outside those exceptions and is squarely barred by § 24-25. The code enforcement official administers the article under § 24-22, with power to issue enforcement orders and make nuisance findings reviewable by the city council, and may inspect any property or premises at a reasonable time under § 24-23 to check for violations. Because the prohibition is not tied to a permit or seasonal burn-ban declaration in this code, the analysis for any outdoor fire in Gretna is simply whether it fits one of the three narrow exceptions in § 24-24; if it does not, it is unlawful under § 24-25 regardless of the fire's size or the day's weather conditions.