Belmont residents who like to gather around a backyard fire pit now have a new set of rules to follow, after the city adopted an updated Open Burning Ordinance meant to keep small fires from turning into safety hazards or neighborhood nuisances. The rules spell out exactly when, where, and how outdoor burning is allowed within city limits, and they come with the threat of citations and fines for anyone who steps outside the lines.
According to the City of Belmont-Government, the ordinance permits only two categories of outdoor burning: work performed by city employees in the lawful course of their duties, and small, controlled fires of wood, charcoal, or artificial logs burned in approved devices. Everything else is prohibited outright. The change follows a Belmont City Council meeting on August 3, where members formally considered amendments to Chapter 93 of the city code covering open burning, Knox boxes, and fireworks as part of a 15-item consent agenda, according to Citizen Portal AI.
What Counts as a Legal Backyard Fire
Under the new rules, a small fire is only legal if it checks off a long list of boxes. It must sit on property owned, rented, or occupied by the person burning, and it has to rest on a non-combustible surface, backed by fire-retardant shields, carts, or stands while it is burning. The fire cannot be lit in a covered, unventilated, or confined space, and it must stay at least five feet away from anything combustible…