Blue Earth County, MN Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)

Sec. 24-339 was adopted specifically to regulate liquid propane storage tank installation for health, safety and general welfare. Every tank in unincorporated Blue Earth County must be placed and installed under National Fire Protection Association Standard 58 and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's regulations as a baseline, unless the county's own rule is stricter. That stricter rule kicks in once a tank reaches 10,000 gallons or larger: at that size, the owner must obtain a construction permit before installation, and the tank has to clear four separate siting tests.

It must comply with the front yard setback of whichever zoning district it sits in, it cannot be located in the flood fringe, floodway, or general floodplain district defined in chapter 8 of the county's zoning ordinance, it must meet the chapter 24 bluff setback, and it must also meet the chapter 24 county ditch setback protecting drainage infrastructure. Smaller residential tanks under 10,000 gallons are not subject to the county construction permit trigger, but still have to meet the underlying NFPA 58 and state fire marshal standards referenced in subsection (1).

Because Sec. 24-339 does not write its own fine, an installation that skips the required permit or violates a siting standard falls back on chapter 24's general penalty provision, Sec. 24-44(a), which treats a zoning violation as a misdemeanor and lets the zoning administrator issue a stop-work order under Sec. 24-44(b) while the county attorney pursues the case.