Noblesville, IN Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Noblesville folds open-flame outdoor cooking into the same Controlled Burning subchapter that governs fire pits generally. Section 92.151(B) applies its conditions to all exempted fires, including fires for cooking or recreational purposes: only wood products may be burned, the fire must be attended at all times until completely extinguished, and it must be put out if it creates an air pollution problem, a nuisance, or a fire hazard. Beyond those conditions, § 92.153 adds a paperwork step: prior approval from the Fire Chief or a designee is required for recreational open burning in Noblesville, and that approval takes the specific form of an open burn permit issued by the Noblesville Fire Department.

The ordinance is explicit that the permit is not just a one-time sign-off; the required burn permit shall be kept at the site of the fire during burning operations, so it must be available for inspection while the fire, smoker, or grill using an open flame is actually burning. Special community or civic events involving any open flame face a further layer of control under § 92.154, which lets the Fire Chief disallow the flame outright if it could endanger bystanders, the community, or responders.

These rules sit on top of, not apart from, the citywide ban on burning rubbish and yard waste in § 92.150, so a smoker or grill using anything other than wood, or left unattended, loses its exempt status.