Kings County Backyard Fire Regulations Rules (2026) — What You Need to Know

New York City maintains one of the strictest open fire prohibitions in the country, codified in both the NYC Administrative Code and the NYC Fire Code. Section 24-149 of the Administrative Code broadly prohibits open fires, and the Fire Code (FC 307) classifies portable outdoor fire pits that burn wood or other solid fuel — including manufactured firelogs — as open fires subject to the same prohibition.

Limited exceptions are carved out in Section 24-149. Outdoor residential picnic and barbecue fires are permitted in equipment with a total grate area not exceeding 10 square feet that is designed to use charcoal or equipped with gas burners. Noncommercial barbecue and picnic fires in equipment provided by and located in city parks are also permitted where the Parks Department allows them. All other open fires require written authorization from agencies with regulatory jurisdiction.

Gas-fueled fire features are treated differently from wood-burning fire pits because the flame can be promptly controlled and extinguished via a switch, key, or button, so they do not fall under the open-fire classification. Residential fire pits at detached or semi-detached houses may be authorized under FC 307.7, but must be positioned at least 15 feet from any structure or combustible material, constantly attended, and accompanied by an approved fire extinguisher (minimum 4-A rating) or connected garden hose. In Brooklyn, where rowhouses and attached dwellings dominate the housing stock, the detached-house requirement effectively rules out fire pits for most residents.