Rothschild, WI Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Section 306-30 of the Fire Prevention chapter targets fire risk in denser housing specifically: for all multifamily dwellings of three or more separate occupancies, no hibachi, grill, or other similar device used for cooking, heating, or any other purpose may be used or kindled on any balcony, under any overhanging portion, or within 10 feet of any structure. The rule reaches any device used for cooking or heating, not just charcoal or propane grills, and the 10-foot clearance runs from any structure, so a ground-level grill still needs to sit clear of the building itself, not only balconies above it.

The same section separately bans storing the fuel with the equipment on a balcony: no fuel for a hibachi, grill, or other similar device may be stored with that equipment on a balcony. That means a propane tank or bag of charcoal cannot sit next to the grill on a balcony even when the grill itself is not lit. The rule applies only to buildings with three or more separate occupancies, so it does not reach a single-family home or a duplex, which fall outside the multifamily threshold the section sets.