Pueblo, CO Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cooking fires
- Exempt from open-burning ban
- Recreational/instructional fires
- Also exempt
- Portable fireplaces
- Exempt if IFC-compliant
- Burn bans
- Can suspend the exemption
- Enforcement
- Fire and Police Departments
Summary
Pueblo's citywide open-burning ban exempts fires used to cook food outdoors, so a backyard smoker, grill, or fire pit used for cooking is lawful without a burn permit.
(e)This Section shall not apply to:(1)Fires used for the noncommercial preparation of food for human consumption.(2)Fires for instructional or recreational purposes.(3)Portable outdoor fireplaces used in accordance with the International Fire Code.(f)Nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit the burning of weeds upon land zoned for agricultural use, provided that such burning be done in compliance with all applicable ordinances of the City, state statutes and the rules and regulations of any city or state agency or board and only after issuance of a permit from the Fire Department. (Ord. No. 3331, 2-9-70; Ord. No. 3680, 3-12-73; Ord. No. 5191, 11-12-84; Ord. 6127, 10-15-96; Ord. 6359, 10-13-98; Ord. 7354 §13, 8-8-05; Ord. No. 8278 §5, 11-8-10; Ord. No. 9718 §1, 6-8-20)
Sec. 3-2-50.5. - Burn restrictions and burn bans.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 109).
Full Breakdown
Section 3-2-50(a) bans burning rubbish, trash, or other combustible material anywhere in the City, but subsection (e) carves out three exemptions: fires for noncommercial food preparation, fires for instructional or recreational purposes, and portable outdoor fireplaces used per the International Fire Code. That means a charcoal grill, wood smoker, or fire pit used to cook food doesn't need the open-burning permit required under subsection (d). The exemption isn't absolute, though, under Sec. 3-2-50.5 the Fire Chief can issue a citywide burn ban when conditions are hazardous, which suspends recreational and cooking fires until it's lifted.
Violations & Fines
Burning outside the exemptions is enforced by the Fire and Police Departments, who route health-related violations to the Health Department (Sec. 3-2-50(c)); defying an active burn ban is punishable under Sec. 3-2-58.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a smoker or fire pit in my backyard in Pueblo?
Does the food-prep exemption require a specific type of grill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pueblo
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