Rogers, AR Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Rogers does not publish a dedicated smoker ordinance, and operating a wood or charcoal smoker at a single-family home is permitted. Smokers are a form of open-flame cooking device covered by the adopted Arkansas Fire Prevention Code (2021 IFC, Section 308). Under IFC Section 308.1.4, charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, with exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings, sprinklered buildings, and small LP-gas containers (2.5 pounds water capacity or less). That means a smoker on a non-sprinklered apartment balcony is generally not allowed, but a backyard smoker at a house is fine. Importantly, Arkansas ADEQ Rule 18.603 exempts fires used for non-commercial cooking of food, including barbecues and outdoor fireplaces, from the state open-burning prohibition, so a smoker is not treated as illegal open burning as long as it is genuinely used for cooking and burns clean fuel (wood, charcoal, or pellets) rather than trash or treated lumber. As with all outdoor fires, a smoker should be attended, kept a safe distance from structures, and not create a nuisance or hazard; the Fire Department can require any fire causing a nuisance or hazard to be extinguished. Excessive or persistent smoke could also be addressed through general nuisance provisions.