Pueblo, CO Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Pueblo does not regulate residential backyard smokers, pellet grills, or wood-fired ovens through a dedicated ordinance during normal conditions. Standard fire-clearance rules under the locally adopted International Fire Code apply, requiring safe separation from combustible construction. The critical wrinkle is seasonal fire restrictions: Stage 1 restrictions declared by the Pueblo Fire Marshal or Pueblo County Sheriff typically prohibit wood-burning devices including offset smokers and wood-fired ovens but allow propane and natural-gas smokers, plus pellet grills with sealed fuel hoppers (because pellet grills produce minimal embers and have controlled combustion). Stage 2 restrictions prohibit essentially all outdoor cooking with open flames. Properties on the western edge of the city near the foothills and in the unincorporated Wildland Urban Interface portions of Pueblo County face additional defensible-space considerations: smokers should be operated on a non-combustible surface with at least 10 feet of cleared fuel-free space around them. Persistent dense smoke that materially interferes with neighbors' use of their property can be cited under Pueblo Municipal Code § 11-1-405 (Nuisances). The Colorado Air Pollution Control Division does not regulate residential smokers. HOA covenants in master-planned subdivisions may impose stricter smoke and aesthetic rules.