Backyard smokers follow the same Montana fire-code rules as grills. Charcoal and open-flame cooking devices cannot operate on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Single-family homes are excepted, but during fire restrictions open-flame cooking may be limited.
A wood or charcoal smoker is an open-flame cooking device under Montana's adopted International Fire Code (2021, ARM 23.12.601). IFC 308.1.4 states such devices 'shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet...of combustible construction,' with exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings and sprinklered buildings. So a homeowner may run a smoker in the yard, kept clear of siding, fences and eaves, while apartment residents generally cannot use one on a wooden deck. Smoke that drifts onto neighbors could also raise nuisance concerns under city ordinances. During Stage 1 fire restrictions, open-flame and charcoal cooking outside developed sites may be prohibited countywide, though on/off LP-gas smokers in cleared areas remain allowed. Only clean cooking fuel may be used,
Operating a smoker in violation of the fire code or during a fire ban is a code/order violation subject to fire-official citation; escaped fires can bring misdemeanor or felony penalties.
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