Nevada Fire Pit Codes, Permits and Clearances

Statewide Rules

Nevada has a State Fire Marshal code, and it reaches less of the state than the name suggests. The Fire Marshal adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) by regulation, now the 2024 edition. His enforcement stops at the two largest counties and Carson City, and Clark and Washoe counties adopt and enforce their own codes, both on the 2024 edition. The recreational fire distance reads the same in every code we checked: 25 ft.

Who Enforces the State Code

The Fire Marshal's regulations "apply throughout the State," but his authority to enforce them does not extend to "a county whose population is 100,000 or more or which has been converted into a consolidated municipality," unless the local fire chief asks him to act. A county of 700,000 or more is exempt from his building-code regulations when its own code is at least as stringent as the International Fire Code, International Building Code and International Wildland-Urban Interface Code.

In the 2020 census count compiled by the Legislative Counsel Bureau, only Clark County (2,265,461) and Washoe County (486,492) are above 100,000. Carson City (58,639) is a consolidated municipality under its charter (section 1.020), so it is outside the Marshal's enforcement too. Together the three hold just over 90 percent of the state's 3,104,614 residents. For most Nevadans, the fire code that applies at home is the county's or the city's.

The State Fire Marshal's Edition

The Fire Marshal moved the state code to the 2024 edition by regulation R205-24.

Section 9 amends NAC 477.281 so that the State Fire Marshal "hereby adopts by reference" the International Fire Code, "2024 edition, including appendices B, C, D, F and H," with the changes listed in NAC 477.283.

"A permanent regulation becomes effective when the Legislative Counsel files with the Secretary of State the original of the final draft or revision of a regulation," unless a later date is specified in the regulation.

R205-24 names no later date, so it took effect when it was filed on February 27, 2026. The compiled NAC chapter 477 on the Legislature's site, stamped June 26, 2026, still prints the 2018 edition and lists no history entry for R205-24, so read the filed regulation for the current text. Neither R205-24 nor the existing changes in NAC 477.283 touches Section 307, the open burning and recreational fire section. A local code can be stricter than the state's.

Where the chapter and a local code, ordinance or regulation conflict, "the more stringent requirement providing the greatest safety from fire and for life to the public applies." The section does not stop a local government from adopting a code "that is more stringent than the provisions of this chapter."

Section 307 as Written

The recreational fire rules are the model code's text.

Recreational fires "shall not be conducted within 25 feet (7620 mm) of a structure or combustible material." Portable outdoor fireplaces must be used per the manufacturer's instructions and not operated within 15 ft of a structure or combustible material, except at one- and two-family dwellings. Recreational fires must be constantly attended until extinguished, with a 4-A extinguisher or other approved equipment on hand.

A recreational fire is an outdoor fire burning materials other than rubbish, with a total fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height. A portable outdoor fireplace is defined as solid-fuel-burning. We found no Section 307 distance written for a gas appliance. Clark County, Las Vegas, Washoe County and Reno adopt the same 2024 text, and none of them amends 307.4.2.

An operational permit is required for open burning on public or private ground, with "Exception: Recreational fires."

Burn Bans and Fire Restrictions

Nevada has no single statewide burn ban. Several authorities can restrict burning, and the order you are under is the rule you follow.

On a finding of "extreme fire hazard," the Governor "may by proclamation close or partially close such land or areas" and "prohibit or limit burning and other acts thereon."

The State Forester Firewarden may prohibit or restrict, on lands within the Firewarden's jurisdiction when conditions create a high risk of fire, "setting an open fire in any place other than in a fireplace located in an established picnic area or campground." The statute adds that "these prohibitions and restrictions do not apply in established campgrounds or picnic areas, beaches or places of habitation." The related burning permit rule applies only to land "outside of incorporated cities and towns."

Whether your yard counts as a place of habitation is a question for your fire official. The local fire code official can also act, because IFC 307.1.1 prohibits open burning "when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous." County and fire district orders are covered below.

Gas Piping and LP-Gas

The State Fire Marshal's code swaps the International Fuel Gas Code for NFPA 54.

"International Fuel Gas Code is deleted and replaced with NFPA 54/ANSI Z223.1, National Fuel Gas Code, 2024 edition, or the most current version adopted by the Board for the Regulation of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas in NAC 590.610."

The same regulation adopts NFPA 58 in its 2024 edition, or the most current version the LP Gas Board adopts. That board sets its own editions.

The Board for the Regulation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas adopts "the most current edition" of NFPA 58 and of NFPA 54 "which has been approved by the Board for use in Nevada," and says it will post the adopted edition on its website.

We did not find the Board's posted edition, so this page does not state one. The 2024 IFC, now the state's edition as well as the large jurisdictions', includes an installation rule for gas appliances.

"The installation of nonportable fuel-fired appliances shall be made in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and applicable federal, state and local rules and regulations."

Nevada licenses gas work through the State Contractors Board.

A classification C-1d plumbing license covers "A permanent means to supply gas for residential and industrial purposes." A classification C-38 license covers installing equipment used with liquefied petroleum and natural gas, including pipes and vents (C-38a) and gas appliances and equipment (C-38b).

City and County Examples

Clark County

Clark County's Bureau of Fire Prevention enforces the Fire Code of Clark County, which is the 2024 IFC with county amendments, in the county's unincorporated areas. The county adopted it by Ordinance 5321 on December 2, 2025, and its amendment document is headed "Effective January 2026."

The code adopts the "International Fire Code, 2024 Edition" with appendices B, C, D, H, P and Q, "except as modified or amended by this chapter." Where the chapter and the IFC conflict, "the wording of this chapter shall supersede the IFC and govern."

The county changes Section 307 in four places and leaves the distances alone.

Section 307.4.1 is rewritten to read "Bonfires are prohibited." Section 307.2 is amended so the permit requirement covers silvicultural, range and wildlife management fires and disease or pest control, and no longer names a bonfire. A new 307.4.4 sets rules for commercial barbecue pits, and a new 307.6 requires outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and decorative appliances fueled by LP-gas or natural gas "used in assembly occupancies or for public display" to be certified by a nationally recognized testing agency.

Sections 307.4.2 and 307.4.3 are not amended, so 25 ft and 15 ft stand. The new 307.6 is written for assembly occupancies and public display, not for a private yard.

Open burning permits are required under IFC 105.5.36, and "Open burning shall not be conducted within 50 feet of any structure (25 feet for recreational fires)." Open burning "must be approved by the Department of Environment and Sustainability (including the Division of Air Quality) prior to fire approval."

An operational permit is required for storage and use of LP-gas, with this exception: "A permit is not required in Group R-3 occupancies and buildings constructed in accordance with the International Residential Code."

The county's air rule is separate from its fire code.

Section 42.1 bars open burning "except as provided in this section and then only when such burning has been approved in advance by the CONTROL OFFICER," and its list of exceptions includes "Small fires for recreational, educational, ceremonial, cooking purposes and warmth of human beings, including barbecues and outdoor fireplaces provided they do not create a public nuisance." Section 42.4 says "Open burning shall be prohibited during air pollution episode conditions" as defined in the state's Emergency Episode Plan.

Section 42.3 adds that no Control Officer permit is needed for private barbecue pits, grills or outdoor fireplaces used to cook food. The rule does not say in plain terms whether a recreational fire needs advance approval, so ask the Division of Air Quality if you plan regular wood fires. We found no standing no-burn day for backyard wood fires in Clark County. The county has asked, as a request and not a rule, that people skip wood burning on Christmas Day.

For Christmas 2024 the department asked "people with wood-burning fireplaces, fire pits and stoves to Put Out the Fire," and its air quality planning manager said "We're asking people to not burn firewood on Dec. 25." The release cites PM2.5 exceedances on Christmas Day in 2022 and 2023 and says increased wood burning was the primary reason.

City of Las Vegas

Las Vegas adopted the 2024 IFC by Ordinance 6918, which puts the fire code in Las Vegas Municipal Code section 16.16.010 with the Southern Nevada amendments and the city's own.

The ordinance adopts the International Fire Code, 2024 edition, with local modifications. It says "This Ordinance shall be effective as of January 5, 2026."

The Section 307 amendments attached to the ordinance, also posted as the Southern Nevada Amendments with City of Las Vegas Amendments (version dated April 10, 2025), match Clark County's: 307.2, 307.4.1, 307.4.4 and 307.6, with 307.4.2 untouched.

"Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material." Portable outdoor fireplaces "shall not be operated within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material."

The department's open burning sheet says "Bonfires are Prohibited Valley-Wide." The IFC defines a bonfire as "an outdoor fire utilized for ceremonial purposes," and it defines a recreational fire by its 3 ft by 2 ft fuel area. Ask Las Vegas Fire & Rescue where it draws the line for your event.

Washoe County, Reno and the Truckee Meadows

Washoe County adopted the 2024 IFC by Ordinance 1750 on December 16, 2025, according to the county's code publisher. The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD) enforces it in its district.

The ordinance amends Washoe County Code Chapter 60 to update the adopted editions of the International Fire Code and the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code from the 2018 editions to the 2024 editions.

TMFPD's own Fire Code page says the district "currently enforces the 2024 International Fire Code." We did not find a signed copy of the ordinance or a published effective date, and the county's online code still shows the 2018 text, so this page gives only the adoption date.

The amendments touch Section 307 only to add 307.6: gas-fueled outdoor fireplaces and fire pits "used in assembly occupancies or for public display shall be equipped with an automatic timer shut off valve with a maximum time limit of 3 hours." Section 307.4.2 is not amended.

The district states the permit rule for homes in plain terms.

"A permit is NOT required from the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District for recreational fires at one-, two-, and multi-family dwellings." The page gives the same no-permit rule for outdoor fireplaces and fire pits at one- and two-family dwellings, sets 25 ft for a recreational fire and for a built fire pit, and says "All open burning requires a permit from the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District."

The page does not mention gas fire pits. It also says the Fire Chief, the Fire Code Official or Washoe County Air Quality can enact a burn restriction or ban, and on October 9, 2026 it carried a notice that Stage 1 restrictions took effect October 1, 2026. That order is a dated example of how a restriction reads.

Effective October 1, 2026, restrictions drop from Stage 2 to Stage 1 on private and County lands. Prohibited until further notice: "Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire (using wood, charcoal, or any other material), campfire, or stove fire, except a portable stove using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel, outside of a developed fee campground or picnic area (except by permit)." The release adds: "A barbecue on private property in an established barbecue or campfire ring, clear of flammable vegetation, is currently permitted." Open burning remains prohibited.

The order does not say what to do with a gas fire pit or fire table, and it does not mention shutoff valves. Orders are lifted and reissued as conditions change, so read the current one before you light.

Washoe County's air rules come from Northern Nevada Public Health, which administers the District Board of Health's air quality regulations.

Section 040.035 says "Open burns include all outdoor fires with the exception of" recreational fires, prescribed fires and fires set for training. Section 040.051 defines a wood-burning device as "a device that burns wood, or any other solid fuel that contains wood," and exempts portable outdoor wood-burning devices such as burn bowls and chimineas on residential parcels.

At a Stage 1 emergency episode, "Operation of any wood-burning device shall be curtailed" unless it supplies the only heat in the dwelling, and open burning as defined in Section 040.035 is curtailed.

A gas unit is outside the definition of a wood-burning device. The regulations do not say whether a built-in outdoor wood fire pit counts, so ask the Air Quality Management Division. The public-facing version is a seasonal program.

The Green, Yellow, Red Burn Code was started "to reduce emissions from woodstoves and fireplaces" and runs from November 1 through the end of February in the listed ZIP codes. On Red days the Health Officer has declared a Stage 1 Emergency Episode, which "prohibits burning for 24 hours." Exemptions "include fireplaces and stoves that operate exclusively with natural gas or propane."

The City of Reno has its own fire code.

The ordinance amends Reno Municipal Code Title 16, Chapter 16.01, to repeal the 2018 International Fire Code and adopt the 2024 International Fire Code with appendices B, C, D, E, H, L and N, as amended.

Reno's published amendments to the 2024 IFC add only 307.6 to Section 307, a similar timer rule for gas fire features in assembly occupancies used for public display. The permit sections they amend are 105.5.22 and 105.5.58, not the open-burning permit. We did not find an effective date for the ordinance or Reno Fire guidance written for backyard fires, so confirm both with the department.

Getting a Permit

What is required varies by city, county and fire district, and the local fire official decides. This is what the sources above support.

• Wood recreational fire at a home. No operational permit under the IFC exception (105.5.36 in the 2024 edition that the state and these four jurisdictions use). TMFPD says so in writing for its district. Read any burn restriction before you light.
• Open burning of yard debris. A permit from the local fire authority. In Clark County the Division of Air Quality approves first. TMFPD says all open burning requires its permit, and its Stage 1 release says open burning remains prohibited.
• Bonfires. Prohibited in Clark County and Las Vegas.
• Gas line to a fire feature. Work for a Nevada-licensed contractor, in the C-1d plumbing or C-38 gas equipment classifications. We did not pull a building permit citation for residential gas piping in any of these jurisdictions, so ask your building department what the permit covers.
• Propane. Clark County requires no LP-gas operational permit in R-3 occupancies and buildings built under the International Residential Code. State LP-gas rules follow NFPA 58 as the State Fire Marshal and the LP Gas Board adopt it.
• Gas fire feature in an assembly or public setting. Clark County and Las Vegas require certification by a nationally recognized testing agency. Washoe County and Reno require a timer shut off valve.

What This Means for Your Build

Wood. Plan on 25 ft between the fire and any structure or combustible material, in any of these jurisdictions. The distance runs to the structure, not to your property line. Check for a restriction before you light: the Truckee Meadows district's Stage 1 order, in force on October 9, 2026, bars fires using wood, charcoal or any other material outside developed campgrounds, while allowing a barbecue in an established barbecue or campfire ring on private property, clear of flammable vegetation. In Clark County the county's air rule bars open burning during air pollution episodes. In the Reno area, plan around the Burn Code from November through February.

Gas. A gas unit is outside Washoe County's definition of a wood-burning device, and Northern Nevada Public Health's burn code page exempts gas and propane fireplaces and stoves. That is the tradeoff to weigh against a wood pit: a gas unit sits outside the wood-burning rules, but a fire restriction is a separate question. The Truckee Meadows Stage 1 order exempts a portable gas stove and is silent on fire tables, so ask the fire district before you light one under a restriction. Start with the installation manual for your unit, because the 2024 IFC requires installation per the manufacturer's instructions. Run your feature type and fuel through the clearance checker for the published manufacturer minimums, and use the gas line sizing calculator to see whether your existing line can feed the burner before you call anyone. Gas lines and connections go to a Nevada-licensed contractor.

Propane. Nevada's LP-gas rules follow NFPA 58 as the State Fire Marshal and the LP Gas Board adopt it. We did not pull a rule specific to a homeowner's cylinder, so ask your propane supplier or installer how it applies.

This page covers Clark County, Las Vegas, Washoe County and Reno. Your city may have changed the model code in ways these four did not, and your fire marshal's reading governs.