Tulsa fire pit rules: what's allowed in your backyard

The short answer

Yes, you can have a backyard fire pit in Tulsa, and a small one needs no permit. The Tulsa Fire Department's rules exempt recreational fires from the city's open burning permit. A recreational fire has a fuel area of 3 feet or less across and 2 feet or less high, and it must sit at least 25 feet from a structure or combustible material.

Two things change that answer. A fire bigger than those limits counts as open burning and needs a permit from the fire code official. And during a burn ban, fire pits are off for everyone, permit or not.

Where Tulsa's rules come from

Tulsa adopted the International Fire Code, 2015 edition, into Title 14 of its ordinances, with local amendments. The Fire Marshal's Office publishes a one-page handout pulling out the parts homeowners ask about. The key lines:

• Open burning needs an operational permit anywhere in city limits, on public or private ground. Burning leaves, grass clippings or construction debris all count as open burning. The city's October 2024 burn ban notice adds that open burning in Tulsa city limits is prohibited even when no ban is in effect.
• Recreational fires are exempt from that permit. The definition covers fires for pleasure, cooking or warmth that burn anything other than rubbish, within the 3-foot by 2-foot fuel limit.
• Portable outdoor fireplaces, movable steel, concrete or clay units that are open or have a small hearth opening and a short chimney, must follow the manufacturer's instructions and stay 15 feet from structures. The handout exempts one- and two-family homes from that 15-foot rule.

Placing a fire pit: the 25-foot circle

The 25-foot rule applies to a recreational fire in an open pit. Picture a circle 50 feet across with the fire in the middle. The house, a detached garage, a shed and a pergola are structures. A wood fence, a deck, a woodpile or patio furniture with cushions is combustible material. The code also says anything that could carry fire to a structure inside that circle has to be cleared before you light it.

The distance is from the fire, not from the edge of the patio. A wood fence along the back of the lot is a second distance to check, not just the house.

The handout doesn't name built-in masonry fire pits. If you're building one, ask the Fire Marshal's Office at 918.596.9422 which rule applies to your design before the base is poured. Planning around 25 feet keeps every option open.

The International Fire Code section on attendance (307.5) also says a fire has to be watched until it's out, with a fire extinguisher or another way to put it out, such as a garden hose, a water barrel, dirt or sand, ready to use.

Burn bans override everything

When Tulsa County declares a burn ban, the City of Tulsa's notices say any kind of outdoor burning is prohibited, and they list fire pits, chimineas, outdoor fireplaces and campfires by name. The ban also cancels burn permits already issued in city limits until it's lifted.

What a ban allows is narrow. The City of Tulsa's notices allow gas and electric grilling over a gravel or concrete surface, with an adult attending who has a water hose at hand. Tulsa County's February 2026 resolution limited exceptions to gas or electric grills over non-flammable surfaces and industrial welding. Neither names gas fire pits as an exception, so don't assume one is allowed during a ban.

How long bans last and what they cost:

• A county ban lasts up to 14 days unless the commissioners pass a new one. The February 2026 Tulsa County ban ran for up to 12 days.
• The state's penalty for breaking a county ban is a misdemeanor, up to a $500 fine, up to a year in jail, or both. A Governor's ban carries up to $1,000, a year in jail, or both.
• Inside Tulsa city limits, the city says a violation can bring a fine of up to $1,200, six months in jail, or both.

County commissioners can only declare a ban after finding extreme fire danger: severe or worse drought as rated by NOAA, half an inch of rain or less in the 3-day forecast, and either unusually high fire activity or more than 20 percent of wildfires started by escaped burns. The City of Tulsa points residents to the state Forestry Services page for a current burn ban map. Check it before lighting a fire in a dry spell.

Gas or wood

A wood-burning pit falls under the distance rules above. A gas fire feature adds gas piping and an appliance, and the City of Tulsa's mechanical permit form lists gas piping, gas appliances and fireplaces as permit items. Plan for that permit if a gas line is part of the project.

Jenks, Bixby, Glenpool, Sapulpa and Sand Springs are separate cities. If your home is in one of them, ask that city's fire department about distances and permits.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Tulsa?

Not for a recreational fire. The city's open burning permit exempts fires with a fuel area of 3 feet or less across and 2 feet or less high. Bigger fires need a permit from the fire code official.

How far does a fire pit have to be from my house in Tulsa?

25 feet from any structure or combustible material for a recreational fire. Portable outdoor fireplaces carry a 15-foot rule, which the handout exempts at one- and two-family homes.

Can I use my fire pit during a burn ban in Tulsa?

No. The City of Tulsa's burn ban notices list fire pits, chimineas and outdoor fireplaces as prohibited. The exceptions cover gas or electric grills over gravel, concrete or another non-flammable surface.

Can I burn leaves in my fire pit in Tulsa?

No. The fire department treats burning leaves and grass clippings as open burning, which needs a permit, and the city says open burning in city limits is prohibited. Recreational fires can't burn rubbish.

What's the fine for breaking a burn ban in Tulsa?

Up to $1,200, six months in jail, or both, inside Tulsa city limits. State law sets up to $500 and a year for a county ban, and up to $1,000 and a year for a Governor's ban.

Planning a fire feature?

We build fire pits and fire features with the seating, the patio and the fire code distances planned together, across Jenks, Bixby, Glenpool, Sand Springs and Sapulpa. See how we build fire features or send us photos of the spot, with the house in the frame.

Sources: Tulsa Fire Department, Open Burning, Recreational Fires, and Fireworks (PDF) · City of Tulsa Fire Department, Open burning · City of Tulsa, burn ban information (October 2024) · City of Tulsa, burn ban information (August 2022) · Tulsa County, burn ban resolution (PDF, February 2026) · Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Burn ban FAQ · Oklahoma Forestry Services · City of Tulsa, Mechanical permit request form (PDF) · Knox County, Tenn., recreational fire pits, quoting International Fire Code 307.5 (PDF)