Oregon Fire Pit Codes, Permits and Clearances

Statewide Rules

Oregon has a statewide fire code. For a backyard fire pit it is the 2025 Oregon Fire Code (OFC), which is the 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) with Oregon amendments, and its recreational fire distances are the model code's. The State Fire Marshal adopts it, a city or fire district can add rules, and Portland administers its own version. Air quality rules, forest fire closures and local burn bans decide whether you can light a fire on a given day, and none of them is a statewide gas fire pit rule.

The Adopted Code

"Effective October 1, 2025, the 2025 Oregon Fire Code which is the 2024 edition of the International Fire Code, as published by the International Code Council, and as amended by the Department of the State Fire Marshal, is adopted."

The State Fire Marshal must "Adopt a base fire prevention code, identified as the Oregon Fire Code" and keep it on file. A fire district that adds provisions to it must keep its own code on file and make it available electronically.

The Oregon Fire Code is a base code. Portland is designated an exempt jurisdiction and administers its own version, which the city section below covers. The State Fire Marshal's rulemaking page listed no change to the Oregon Fire Code in progress on the day we checked.

Section 307 as Adopted

Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet (7620 mm) of a structure or combustible material. Conditions that could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet (7620 mm) of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.

Portable outdoor fireplaces must be used per the manufacturer's instructions and not operated within 15 ft of a structure or combustible material. One- and two-family dwellings are excepted. Fires must be constantly attended until extinguished, with a 4-A extinguisher or other approved equipment on hand.

The Oregon Fire Code defines a portable outdoor fireplace as solid-fuel-burning. Its definition of a recreational fire speaks of burning materials and never mentions gas. We found no section that sets a fixed distance for a gas fire feature, so its clearance comes from its listing and your unit's installation manual. All of these distances run to a structure or combustible material, not to a property line.

Open burning needs an operational permit, with this exception: "Recreational fires."

Air Quality Rules

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) sets Oregon's open burning rules. They carve out backyard fires, with two exceptions.

Except for two general rules, DEQ's open burning division "does not apply to" recreational fires and ceremonial fires, or to "Barbecue equipment used in connection with any residence." One of those two general rules bars open burning "on any day or at any time" that DEQ has told the State Fire Marshal it is prohibited "because of meteorological or air quality conditions."

The same prohibitions rule also bars open burning that creates a nuisance or a hazard to public safety. The other general rule, OAR 340-264-0050, requires a person to attend the fire and be able to put it out. DEQ's rules do not mention gas or propane fire pits, and we found no DEQ statement on whether one counts as open burning.

Fire Season and Forest Closures

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) can restrict the use of forestland that is exposed to fire danger. It does this by proclamation, one district at a time, and a closure applies to land under that district's protection. Ask which agency protects your address. ODF's restrictions page links a map that shows current restrictions for any location.

The forester "may designate such forestland as an extra fire hazard and may restrict the use of such forestland." Violating a restriction is unlawful, but that section does not apply to "an owner's right of entry upon the land of the owner."

The 2026 proclamations for South Cascade, Northeast Oregon and Northwest Oregon repeat that carve-out: the closure applies "except as to the owner's legal right of entry upon their land." Others, such as Central Oregon's, do not. Ask the district office how a closure applies to a fire in your own yard.

ODF's 2026 proclamations treat gas fire pits differently from district to district. These are two examples, each effective in June 2026.

The proclamation says "the use of appliances such as portable fire pits using liquified or bottled fuels are allowed, with landowner permission, in areas free of flammable vegetation" at the low, moderate and high fire danger levels. It also says: "All open fires are prohibited in extreme fire danger (RED)."

"Propane fire pits are allowed if they are self-contained and 3 feet away from any flammable fuels with a maximum flame height of 2 feet." Open fires are prohibited entirely in extreme fire danger.

South Cascade lists portable fire pits only for the green, blue and yellow levels. Central Oregon's 2026 proclamations allow "portable appliances such as camp stoves and fire pits using liquified or bottled fuels" in clear areas free of flammable vegetation, and the Southwest Oregon proclamation allows the same at any time. These proclamations name liquified or bottled fuels, or propane, and none names natural gas. A fixed fire table on a natural gas line is not named in any of them. A proclamation stays in force until its stated period ends or the forester suspends or terminates it (ORS 477.540), so read your district's proclamation and ask the district office.

Gas Piping and LP-Gas

Oregon sends LP-gas equipment to NFPA 58 and the International Fuel Gas Code.

The installation of LP-gas equipment "shall comply with this chapter and NFPA 58." Section 6103.1 reads: "LP-gas equipment shall be installed in accordance with the International Fuel Gas Code and NFPA 58, except as otherwise provided in this chapter."

Oregon also licenses the people who do LP-gas work, and the license is the State Fire Marshal's.

A person may not engage in the business of installing, extending, altering or repairing any LP gas appliance or piping "unless the person has received an LP gas installation license from the State Fire Marshal," and may not do LP gas fitting or connect an LP gas appliance that is subject to state inspection without an LP gas fitter license. A journeyman plumber is exempt, "except that the apprentice or journeyman plumber may not install an LP gas tank or make any connection to an LP gas tank" without that license.

The Building Codes Division (BCD) covers the permit side.

Permits are required to "Install, alter, or repair gas piping between the meter or LPG tank and an appliance, both indoors and outdoors." The page adds: "The State Fire Marshal's licensing law requires anyone, including homeowners, who install, extend, alter, or repair any LP gas appliance or piping, vent or flue connection must be licensed through them."

BCD's page applies to detached one- and two-family dwellings. We did not find a rule on who may install natural gas piping, so ask your building department. Oregon's LP-gas rule adopts NFPA 54 and NFPA 58 by reference and names no edition year (OAR 837-030-0130), so ask the State Fire Marshal's LP-gas unit which editions it uses.

For a home, the appliance itself falls under the Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC).

Permanently fixed-in-place outdoor decorative appliances shall be listed in accordance with ANSI Z21.97 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

A new edition is phasing in. The 2026 ORSC, based on the 2024 International Residential Code, took effect on October 1, 2026. The 2023 edition may be used until March 31, 2027, and the 2026 edition is mandatory from April 1, 2027 (OAR 918-480-0005). The 2024 model code carries the same listing rule. We have not read the 2026 ORSC's own text, which was still being published when we checked.

City and County Examples

City of Portland

Portland is an exempt jurisdiction, so Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) administers fire regulations inside the city. On September 23, 2026, the City Council passed an emergency ordinance adopting the current Oregon Fire Code with Portland amendments.

Section 31.10.050(E) provides that "the City adopts the current Edition of the Oregon Fire Code with amendments." The ordinance finds that "The State of Oregon has adopted the 2025 Oregon Fire Code based on the International Fire Code, 2024 edition."

Portland's amendments, attached to the ordinance as Exhibit B, change Chapter 3 only at Sections 308.2 and 315.2, which concern permits. Section 307 is not amended, so recreational fires stay at 25 ft, and the open-burning permit keeps its exception for recreational fires. The Fire Marshal's policy on outdoor burning was updated on September 15, 2026.

"Recreational fire: maximum 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high; minimum 25 feet from structures or combustible material." The policy adds: "Unless specifically exempted by the Fire Marshal, recreational fires are prohibited during a burn ban applicable to recreational burning."

The policy says a lawful recreational fire needs no permit. It treats a portable outdoor fireplace as a solid-fuel appliance and does not mention gas fire pits. Portland's summer burn ban and its LP-gas permit are where gas matters.

"The burn ban includes recreational campfires, fire pits, yard debris, agricultural burning and permits issued for open burning until further notice." Outdoor barbecuing "(grills, smokers, and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels)" is allowed.

The notice names "fire pits" without a fuel, and it lists propane and natural gas only among the fuels for cooking appliances. It does not say whether a gas fire pit is covered, so contact Portland Fire & Rescue before you light one. The newest entry on the notice page is the June 15, 2026 ban, and it showed no lifting notice on the day we checked. The 2025 ban was lifted on October 1, 2025.

Portland also rewrites the fire code's LP-gas permit, which a propane fire pit can run into.

An operational permit is required for "Storage or use of LP-gas in excess of 17 ounces," with this exception: "Storage or use of LP-gas as allowed in Section 6103."

The state version of 105.5.31 requires a permit for LP-gas storage and use but exempts containers of 500 gallons water capacity or less serving Group R-3 residential occupancies. Portland's version drops that exception. Section 6103 covers installing LP-gas equipment and using containers inside buildings. Portland's city code lists the same 17-ounce threshold for a temporary permit (PCC 31.40.020). We found no Portland guidance on whether a backyard propane fire pit needs this permit, so ask Portland Fire & Rescue before you set one up.

City of Bend

Bend adopts whichever edition the state has in effect.

"The Oregon Fire Code, as amended or revised by the State of Oregon, including Oregon-adopted appendices (the 'Fire Code'), is adopted as fire protection regulations within the City."

Bend's open burning chapter bans yard debris and refuse fires inside the city, and it allows small recreational fires under the fire code and the Fire Department's own regulations.

Bend allows "Campfires, warming fires, cooking fires, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor kiln fires and other approved similar type fires that are not more than three feet in diameter," subject to the most recent fire code and the Fire Department's Outdoor Burning Regulations.

Bend Fire & Rescue publishes them as a brochure titled Outdoor Burning Regulations, revised May 2022, which says that failing to follow them is a violation of section 5.30.005.

Campfires up to 3 ft wide and 2 ft tall "shall be at least 25ft from structures." For commercially manufactured fire pits: "Follow manufacturers' safety guidelines for clearances and separation from structures and combustibles," and "If no safety guidelines available, 15 feet separation shall be provided."

The brochure counts fences, decks, sheds and covered patios as structures, but not paved areas, driveways or walks. It lists gas fire appliances, natural gas or LPG, among the fuels for warming fires, and it says all types of fires may be banned in peak fire conditions.

The manufacturer rule tracks the code's own split. The Oregon Fire Code holds a recreational fire to 25 ft, but a portable outdoor fireplace, a portable solid-fuel unit, goes by the manufacturer's instructions, and its 15 ft rule does not apply at one- and two-family dwellings (307.4.3). The department decides which one your fire pit is.

Bend Fire & Rescue's burning page is guidance, not code, and it is the only city source we found that speaks to gas fire pits by name.

For a store-bought fire pit, "you can follow the distance the manufacturer recommends." Its Gas Fire Pits section says to "Check the manufacturer's guidelines for recommended separation," with a general rule of 36 inches of horizontal clearance and 72 inches of vertical clearance from the flames. It adds: "In Bend, we allow these types of fires to be used year-round due to the lack of smoke, embers, and ash left behind that would create a fire hazard normally."

The page softens the campfire figure to 25 ft from buildings and tall fences "if at all possible." The regulations say 25 ft without that hedge, so use 25 ft. The 36 and 72 inch figures for gas appear only on the page, and the manual still comes first. The page's year-round line for gas sits beside the regulations' warning that all types of fires may be banned in peak fire conditions, and neither says whether a given ban exempts gas fire pits. Call the burn information line the page lists before you light one.

Getting a Permit

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

• Wood recreational fire. No fire code permit, because the OFC 105.5.37 exception applies. Portland's policy says a lawful recreational fire needs no permit, and Bend Fire & Rescue says campfires and store-bought fire appliances need none when they meet its size and spacing rules.
• Burn ban, fire season or air quality day. Check ODF's restriction map if you live on protected forestland, your city fire department or fire district, and any air quality notice.
• Gas line to a fire feature. The Building Codes Division lists gas piping between the meter or LPG tank and an appliance, indoors and outdoors, as work that needs a permit from your local building department.
• Propane (LP-gas) work. A State Fire Marshal license under ORS 480.432. The Building Codes Division says this includes homeowners.
• Propane in Portland. Portland's fire code amendments require an operational permit for storage or use of more than 17 ounces of LP-gas, except as Section 6103 allows (105.5.31). Ask Portland Fire & Rescue whether that covers your fire pit's cylinder.
• Portable heating and cooking appliances. The Building Codes Division lists installing them as not needing a permit.

What This Means for Your Build

Wood. Plan on 25 ft between the fire and any structure or combustible material. That is the Oregon Fire Code, Portland applies it, Bend's regulations use it for campfires, and it runs to the structure, not your property line. A store-bought portable wood unit may count as a portable outdoor fireplace instead, which goes by the manufacturer's instructions; Bend's regulations do the same and fall back to 15 ft. Ask your fire department which one yours is. On a day DEQ prohibits burning for air quality, or during an ODF closure or a local ban, a wood fire that meets every distance can still be illegal to light.

Gas. A gas fire pit sits outside the fire code's wood-fire distances, so its clearance comes from its listing and installation manual. Bend Fire & Rescue's web page gives a general guide of 36 inches horizontal and 72 inches vertical from the flames, and it says the manual comes first. A permanently fixed outdoor gas appliance at a home must be listed to ANSI Z21.97 under the 2023 residential code, and the 2026 edition is phasing in. Burn bans are the tradeoff to weigh. ODF districts word the gas exemption differently, Portland's notice does not address gas fire pits, and Bend's page says gas fire pits are allowed year-round, though its regulations say all types of fires may be banned in peak fire conditions. Ask which applies at your address. Run your feature type and fuel through the clearance checker for the published manufacturer minimums, then read your own manual, which controls. Use the gas line sizing calculator to see whether your existing line can feed the burner before you call anyone.

Propane. Oregon requires a State Fire Marshal license for LP-gas appliance and piping work, so hire a licensed LP-gas company and ask your building department about the permit. In Portland, also ask Portland Fire & Rescue about its LP-gas permit. The propane tank runtime calculator shows how many hours a tank gives you at your burner's output. A natural gas line also needs a permit, and your building department can tell you who may do the work.

This page covers Portland and Bend. Your city, fire district and forest protection district can each add rules to what is here, and your fire official's reading governs.