Mount Prospect, IL Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Mount Prospect, IL, 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
- Bonfire rule
- Village Code § 23.110(B)
- Sidewalk buffer
- No bonfire within twenty feet (20') of a sidewalk
- Public property
- No bonfire on any public street, sidewalk, pavement or public place
- Fire pit spacing
- 15 feet with spark arrestor; 25 feet without; 10 feet for gas (§ 24.102)
- Garbage burning
- Nuisance unless in state EPA approved incinerator (§ 23.1403(T))
- Fine
- $100.00 in Appendix A, Division III
Summary
Section 23.110(B) of the Mount Prospect Village Code makes it unlawful to build or light a bonfire so close to a building or structure as to endanger it, on any public street, sidewalk, pavement or other public place or property, or within twenty feet (20') of a sidewalk. Fire pits fall under the Village's amended fire code, and burning garbage is a listed nuisance. The bonfire fine is $100.00.
A. Combustible Refuse: It shall be unlawful to permit or store any combustible refuse in such a way as to create a fire hazard or to store or throw any refuse of any kind on any street, alley or other public place. B. Bonfires: It shall be unlawful to build or light any bonfire so close to any building or structure as to endanger such building or structure, or on any public street, or sidewalk, pavement or other public place or property, or within twenty feet (20') of a sidewalk.
Full Breakdown
The Village of Mount Prospect regulates outdoor fire through three connected provisions rather than a single burn ban.
Section 23.110, Fire Hazards, is the bonfire rule. Subsection B makes it unlawful to build or light any bonfire so close to any building or structure as to endanger that building or structure, or on any public street, or sidewalk, pavement or other public place or property, or within twenty feet (20') of a sidewalk. Subsection A, printed just before it, bars permitting or storing combustible refuse in such a way as to create a fire hazard, and bars storing or throwing refuse of any kind on any street, alley or other public place. Appendix A, Division III lists each subsection at $100.00.
Section 24.102 adopts the International Fire Code, 2021, as the Fire Prevention Code of the Village of Mount Prospect, and subsection C deletes the exception in section 307.4.3 of that code and replaces it. Outdoor fire rings and fire pits (portable and non-portable) having a spark flame arrestor are to be used in accordance with the manufacturer's operating instructions and are not to be operated within 15 feet of a structure. Fire rings and fire pits that do not meet those requirements must be a minimum of 25 feet from a structure and meet IFC section 307.4 exception 2. Gas supplied fire rings and fire pits are to be used per the manufacturer's instructions, not operated within 10 feet of a structure, and provided with a remote shutoff control valve.
Section 23.1403(T) lists as a nuisance, within the Village and within one-half (1/2) mile of the corporate limits, burning garbage other than in incinerators approved by the environmental protection agency of the state. Under Section 23.1404, an abatement action is a remedy cumulative to other remedies at law and equity, and it does not bar civil or criminal prosecution.
Violations & Fines
Appendix A, Division III of the Village Code lists a $100.00 fine for each subsection of Section 23.110, including bonfires. Burning garbage outside an approved incinerator is a nuisance under Section 23.1403(T), and Section 23.1404 makes abatement cumulative to other remedies at law and equity, with injunctive relief available to restrain violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a bonfire in my yard in Mount Prospect?
How far must a fire pit be from my house?
Is burning trash allowed in Mount Prospect?
Which Village fire code applies?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Prospect
How Mount Prospect compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Mount Prospect to another location·View the Illinois fire regulations overview
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