Fishers, IN Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Using a wood, charcoal, pellet, or propane smoker in a Fishers backyard is treated as outdoor cooking, which the Fishers Department of Fire and Emergency Services recognizes among its allowed burning purposes (recreational and cooking, such as camp fires). There is no separate Fishers ordinance specifically governing smokers. The general conditions that apply to any backyard fire still control: the device should be attended, kept a safe distance from structures (the city applies a 50-foot setback from structures and rights-of-way to open burning), and operated so it does not create a nuisance or fire hazard. The fire department states that any fire creating an air pollution problem, a nuisance, or a fire hazard must be extinguished at its direction, and open burning is absolutely prohibited in apartment complexes and mobile home parks - so smokers should be used at single-family residences, not multifamily common areas. Indiana's open-burning exemption for cooking fires (326 IAC 4-1-3) limits fuel to clean wood products, paper, and charcoal, which aligns with normal smoker fuels (hardwood, lump charcoal, and pellets); burning trash or treated wood is prohibited. Smoke drifting onto neighboring properties could also be addressed as a nuisance. For long, low-temperature smoking sessions, keeping the smoker attended, using clean cooking fuel, and maintaining clearance from the house and fences keeps the activity within Fishers' and Indiana's rules. Because no smoker-specific section was found in the city code, residents should follow the cooking-fire and open-burning guidance and confirm any questions with the Fishers fire marshal.