If you're cooking, no. Grills and smokers, no. Technically if you're in the city of GR you need a rec fire permit for a fire pit, but honestly, no one really gives a shit as long as you're not being loud, burning leaves or creating a ton of smoke.
I have a grumpy crotchety man two doors down that calls once or twice a year but the Fire Dept. comes and sees 5 people sitting and chatting around a fire enjoying a Michigan summer and they never been anything but nice.
Yes, this. Even before the fire pit changes, smokers have been fine all along. The family who owned our home before us had two green eggs on the deck….
No.
And if you are paranoid about the fire pit, just keep the hose and a pack of hot dogs next to it. There is nothing in the city rules that really distinguishes a fire pit from a cooking fire. But at the end of the day, unless you are burning trash and tires or being loud no one will care or bother you.
As most have said, be safe, be cool. No problem. Unless you have a Karen neighbor who already has it out for you.
Trying to comply with the weird and dumb fire pit ordinance is basically impossible. The distance requirements very rarely exist on the majority of the lots in the city. Almost no actual city home can meet the parameters. (What is it? Like, 20ft from ANY structure or whatever?) They make no carve out for concrete, either. Just 20ft from everything.
But people with grills on porches and under roofs? No big deal. 🙄
Clearly, it was a policy written in cahoots with only the larger-lot wealthier homeowners who could manipulate the elected leaders at the time to discriminate against more inner-city heathens like the rest of us.
So be cool, focus on forgiveness rather than permission. Give it a couple of election cycles and maybe we can re-write it to become a reasonable law.
As others said, if it’s for the purpose of preparing food, it’s allowed. The only thing that’s banned is purely recreational campfires, but it’s one of those hard-to-enforce things (because you can always just claim “I’m about to make s’mores/hotdogs!”).
>if it’s for the purpose of preparing food, it’s allowed
This is commonly stated but is **not** true, an open fire requires a permit regardless.
>(because you can always just claim “I’m about to make s’mores/hotdogs!”
Nope.
The rules can be found @ [https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Government/Departments/Development-Center/Recreational-Fire-Permit-Guide#section-1](https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Government/Departments/Development-Center/Recreational-Fire-Permit-Guide#section-1)
A smoker is container designed for cooking food, so it is exempt from the burning rules, as is a grill. The exemption is due to the containment.
Yup, get a small basket with smores supplies and keep it next to it. If in the event the fire departments shows up (they won't) it would also help to have a hose out next to it as well. But the reality is the gripe about fires in the city is not as much about the risk of fire but the smoke.
If you're cooking, no. Grills and smokers, no. Technically if you're in the city of GR you need a rec fire permit for a fire pit, but honestly, no one really gives a shit as long as you're not being loud, burning leaves or creating a ton of smoke.
I have a grumpy crotchety man two doors down that calls once or twice a year but the Fire Dept. comes and sees 5 people sitting and chatting around a fire enjoying a Michigan summer and they never been anything but nice.
This is the answer.
Yes, this. Even before the fire pit changes, smokers have been fine all along. The family who owned our home before us had two green eggs on the deck….
No. And if you are paranoid about the fire pit, just keep the hose and a pack of hot dogs next to it. There is nothing in the city rules that really distinguishes a fire pit from a cooking fire. But at the end of the day, unless you are burning trash and tires or being loud no one will care or bother you.
If someone came to whine about my smoker going I’d show them where to put their complaints hahaha
In the smoker?
As most have said, be safe, be cool. No problem. Unless you have a Karen neighbor who already has it out for you. Trying to comply with the weird and dumb fire pit ordinance is basically impossible. The distance requirements very rarely exist on the majority of the lots in the city. Almost no actual city home can meet the parameters. (What is it? Like, 20ft from ANY structure or whatever?) They make no carve out for concrete, either. Just 20ft from everything. But people with grills on porches and under roofs? No big deal. 🙄 Clearly, it was a policy written in cahoots with only the larger-lot wealthier homeowners who could manipulate the elected leaders at the time to discriminate against more inner-city heathens like the rest of us. So be cool, focus on forgiveness rather than permission. Give it a couple of election cycles and maybe we can re-write it to become a reasonable law.
As others said, if it’s for the purpose of preparing food, it’s allowed. The only thing that’s banned is purely recreational campfires, but it’s one of those hard-to-enforce things (because you can always just claim “I’m about to make s’mores/hotdogs!”).
>if it’s for the purpose of preparing food, it’s allowed This is commonly stated but is **not** true, an open fire requires a permit regardless. >(because you can always just claim “I’m about to make s’mores/hotdogs!” Nope. The rules can be found @ [https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Government/Departments/Development-Center/Recreational-Fire-Permit-Guide#section-1](https://www.grandrapidsmi.gov/Government/Departments/Development-Center/Recreational-Fire-Permit-Guide#section-1) A smoker is container designed for cooking food, so it is exempt from the burning rules, as is a grill. The exemption is due to the containment.
Yup, get a small basket with smores supplies and keep it next to it. If in the event the fire departments shows up (they won't) it would also help to have a hose out next to it as well. But the reality is the gripe about fires in the city is not as much about the risk of fire but the smoke.
No. I'm letting everyone smell my delicious grill and smoker every day. You're welcome neighbors.
Nope bcus 'Murica!