Backyard Fire Pit Rules in Missoula and Ravalli County

Can you have a wood fire pit inside Missoula city limits?

No, according to Missoula Public Health. Its notice about the July 1, 2026 closure of outdoor burning, posted June 30, 2026, states that per Missoula Municipal Code 8.60, all open fires including campfires and wood-fueled fire pits are prohibited throughout the year within city limits. The same notice says barbecues and use of LPG (propane) stoves are still allowed.

Missoula Public Health's outdoor burning page says the same thing from the county side: recreational fires are allowed year-round without a permit only if the property is outside city limits. If you live in the city, a wood-burning fire pit is not a legal option. The notice does not address gas fire tables by name, so ask the Missoula Fire Department or the health department before buying one.

What counts as a recreational fire in Missoula County?

Missoula Public Health defines a recreational fire as an attended fire two feet in diameter or less for the purpose of recreation. It adds that if the purpose of the fire is to dispose of the material being burned, it is not a recreational fire. Outside city limits, a fire meeting that definition is allowed without a permit, subject to any restrictions in force.

Two practical consequences follow. A fire pit for Missoula County use should be designed so the fire itself stays within that two foot size; a large ring invites a large fire. And the fire pit cannot be used to get rid of branches, leaves or construction scraps. Disposal burning is a different activity with its own permits and seasons, covered in our guide to burning tree debris and Montana burn permits and in slash pile burning.

What does Montana state law say about recreational fires?

Montana's burn permit statute, MCA 76-13-121, generally requires a permit to ignite a fire during the wildfire season. It also says a permit is not needed for recreational fires measuring less than 48 inches in diameter that are surrounded by a nonflammable area or structure and have a suitable source of extinguishing the fire available. And it says a recreational fire may not be ignited if special restrictions prohibiting recreational fires have been established by an authority having jurisdiction.

So the state rule is the outer limit, not the whole story. Missoula County's own definition is smaller (two feet), the City of Missoula bans wood fire pits outright, and any fire restriction from a local authority overrides the exemption.

What are the rules in Ravalli County?

Ravalli County's Office of Emergency Management press releases from recent summers show how the county has handled recreational fires when it closed debris burning. Its July 17, 2023 release, announcing Resolution No. 4536 closing outdoor debris burning, said recreational and cooking fires up to 48 inches were allowed at that time, as long as the fire is fully attended and completely extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving the area of the fire. Its July 18, 2022 release used the same wording.

Those are past releases, not a standing rule, and each season brings new decisions. A KPAX report on a past Stage II order in Ravalli County listed building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire as prohibited on private and county-managed lands. We did not find a published City of Hamilton ordinance on backyard fires, so residents of Hamilton, Stevensville, Darby and other towns should call the town or the local fire department before assuming the county wording applies inside town limits.

What do Stage I and Stage II fire restrictions mean for a fire pit?

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks publishes the standard restriction definitions used by Montana agencies. Under Stage I, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire is prohibited unless an exemption applies; Stage II prohibits the same with no campfire exemptions. Under both stages, a device fueled solely by liquid petroleum or LPG that can be turned on and off is exempt, but only in an area that is barren or cleared of overhead and surrounding flammable material within 3 feet of the device.

The FWP chart also notes that land within city boundaries is exempt from the listed fire restrictions. In Missoula, the city's own rules already prohibit wood fire pits year round. For the rest of the valley, a stage declaration means the wood fire pit sits unused until it is lifted. Our guide to Montana fire restriction stages explains how stages are declared and where to check them.

How do you check whether you can have a fire tonight?

Check on the day. Missoula Public Health says outdoor burning restrictions are typically set between 4 and 5 pm the day before and points to the state's burn permit site for current daily restrictions. FWP points readers to MTFire.org for current county restrictions. For debris burning, Ravalli County's burn permit page says to check daily status on the state's burn permit site or at 866-212-6318, and asks residents not to call the dispatch center or sheriff's office.

If smoke from wildfires or a winter inversion is already sitting in the valley, a backyard fire adds to it. Use judgment even when it is technically allowed.

Is a gas fire pit a better choice in western Montana?

For many properties outside the city, yes. Inside Missoula city limits, wood fire pits are prohibited and the health department notice says LPG stoves are still allowed, but confirm with the city that a specific gas fire table is acceptable. Elsewhere, a gas unit that can be turned on and off is exempt under the FWP Stage I and Stage II definitions, provided the 3 foot cleared area condition is met, so it can stay usable during restrictions that shut down wood fires.

A gas fire feature still needs a fuel supply. Propane tanks need their own clearances, which our guide to propane tank clearance for wildfire covers. Gas lines and appliance connections are work for a licensed gas fitter or plumber, not a landscaper. We can build the surround and the hardscape, and the fuel connection belongs to that trade.

Where should a fire pit go on the property?

Away from the house and anything that burns. The Firewise USA fact sheet from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends crushed stone or gravel instead of flammable mulch in the immediate zone, 0 to 5 feet around the house, and trimming branches that overhang the home, porch and deck. A fire pit belongs further out than that, on a noncombustible pad of stone or pavers, clear of overhanging limbs, wood fences, firewood stacks and dry grass.

Our wildfire chapter explains the zones in Zone 0: the first five feet and hardscape firebreaks, patios and paths. Firewood for the pit is its own fire risk, and firewood storage for wildfire safety covers where to stack it.

How should a fire pit be built?

The state's recreational fire exemption describes a fire surrounded by a nonflammable area or structure, with a way to put it out. A well built fire pit meets that by design: a ring of stone or masonry units, a noncombustible floor, a surrounding pad of pavers, flagstone or gravel wide enough that sparks land on stone rather than lawn or mulch, and a hose bib or water source within reach.

Size the inside of the ring for the rules where you live. In Missoula County outside city limits, the definition is a fire two feet in diameter or less. Under the state exemption the limit is under 48 inches. A ring sized to the smaller number keeps the fire legal in more situations. For surface choices around the pit, see pavers or poured concrete and flagstone patios.

Fire pits and outdoor spaces with HJ

We build fire pits and the patios around them as part of our hardscaping work, and we lay out outdoor spaces with fire safety and the rest of the yard in mind under our landscaping and design service. We do not issue permits or set burn rules, and nothing here is legal advice: confirm with Missoula Public Health, Ravalli County or your town before you light a fire. For the bigger picture on outdoor spaces, see designing outdoor living space for Montana's climate, part of our Montana Landscaping, Lawn & Irrigation Guide.

Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a free estimate and we will walk the site with you.

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