Canton, OH Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Chapter 1513, Recreational Fires, defines a recreational fire as an outdoor fire that burns seasoned dry firewood for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking or warmth purposes, and § 1513.02 requires anyone planning one to apply to the Fire Prevention Bureau at least forty-eight hours ahead, stating the purpose, materials, date, time, duration, location and extinguishing equipment on hand. Section 1513.01(b) carves grills out of that process: a small fire contained in a non-commercial, clean-burning enclosed cooking apparatus, commonly known as a grill, fueled by charcoal, propane, natural gas or similar material, is exempt from the application requirement in § 1513.02.

That means a homeowner firing up a charcoal or propane grill on a patio or in a yard does not need Fire Prevention Bureau approval, unlike someone planning a wood campfire or fire pit. The exemption applies specifically to enclosed cooking apparatus; it does not extend the 25-foot structure setback, the three-hour duration cap or the 11:00 p.m. extinguishing deadline that § 1513.02 sets for the fires that do require an application, since a properly enclosed grill is not treated as an open or recreational fire in the first place.

If a grill's fire nonetheless creates a hazardous or objectionable condition, § 1513.03 lets the Fire Department order it extinguished, and refusal lets the department put it out directly.