Maine state law: recreational fire pits and outdoor campfires

Maine has no statewide statute that bans residential fire pits outright. The Maine Forest Service (Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Forestry) administers open-fire regulation under 12 MRS Chapter 805 (Forest Fire Prevention). Per Maine Forest Service guidance, a recreational campfire under 3 feet in diameter does NOT require a burn permit IF it is conducted on bare mineral soil or in a contained pit on a non-combustible base, attended at all times by an adult, with a water source and shovel or extinguisher within reach, and conducted on a day when the Maine Forest Service has not declared a Class III, IV, or V fire-danger condition or a red-flag warning. Larger ground fires, brush burns, and yard-debris piles require a permit through the Maine Forest Service online portal (https://www13.informe.org/burnpermit/) or from the local town fire warden under 12 MRS § 9321, with the warden notifying municipal officers or the fire chief that the permit was issued. Municipalities may impose stricter local rules under 30-A MRS § 3001 (Home rule) — many Cumberland County urban municipalities including Portland prohibit residential ground fires year-round and require enclosed UL-listed outdoor fireplaces or propane fire pits only. Within the Shoreland Zone (38 MRS § 435 et seq., within 250 ft of protected waters), the 75-ft vegetated-buffer rule constrains where fire pits may be sited.

Unpermitted open burning is a civil violation under 12 MRS Chapter 805 with statewide fines typically $100-$500 per occurrence; person responsible for an escaped fire is liable for state suppression costs under 12 MRS § 9325. Disorderly-conduct charges under 17-A MRS § 501-A may also apply if the fire produces loud and unreasonable noise (Class E crime).