Rapid City, SD Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- No permit for cooking fires
- Food heating/cooking fires exempt citywide
- Recreational fire containment
- Fireplace, barbecue pit, fire ring, chiminea or rock ring
- Fire Dept. approval needed
- Only for exceptions A.1.a through f
- Banned fuels
- Waste oil, tires, tarpaper, treated wood
- Penalty
- $1-$500 fine and/or up to 30 days jail
Summary
Rapid City's open-burning ban carves out cooking fires: heating or grilling food for human consumption is exempt in residential areas, city parks and campgrounds, and recreational fires in a contained fireplace, barbecue pit, fire ring, chiminea or rock ring need no Fire Department sign-off, unlike most other open-burning exceptions.
A. Open Burning Restricted. 1. No person shall, at any time, engage in open burning activities within the Air Quality Control Zone, except as allowed under the following conditions: ... ... g. Open burning for the heating or cooking of food for human consumption in residential areas, city parks and campground areas; h. Open burning for recreational purposes when the fires are confined to a fireplace, barbecue pit, recreational fire pit, fire ring, chiminea, outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or rock ring; and i. Open burning for ceremonial purposes. ... ... D. Conditions for Open Burning Approval within City Limits. Prior to ignition, a person requesting to open burn in the city limits for the exceptions allowed under division A.1.a. through f. of this section must gain permission from the Rapid City Department Fire Department.
Full Breakdown
1, but the section lists nine exceptions. h). i). f (agricultural ditches, noxious weed control, wildfire management, ecosystem management, Fire Department training and fire-hazard abatement) require the person to get permission from the Rapid City Fire Department before ignition; cooking fires, recreational fires and ceremonial fires are not on that list, so no advance Fire Department approval is required for a backyard smoker, grill or fire pit. C, citing state air-quality rule ARSD 74:36:06:07, separately prohibits burning waste oil, rubber, waste tires, tarpaper, asphalt shingles, or wood treated with inorganic arsenicals, pentachlorophenol or creosols in any open fire, including a cooking fire or fire pit. Enforcement runs through the Community Development Air Quality Division. 010.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 8.34, including burning a prohibited fuel in a smoker or fire pit, is punished under the general penalty at RCMC § 1.12.010: a fine of not less than $1 nor more than $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. The Air Quality Division can also seek an injunction under § 8.34.270 against a continuing violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grill or smoke food outdoors in Rapid City without a permit?
Do I need city approval to use a backyard fire pit?
What can't I burn in my smoker or fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rapid City
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