The City of Kalamazoo has passed an ordinance in its first reading to both decriminalize and update the city fire code, which currently adheres to the 2009 edition of the International Fire Code.
Per city law, open burns on any private property are prohibited within the city limits, and language regarding contained fire pits is not addressed.
According to the City Commission agenda, the amendments to the fire code would “provide a definition of recreational fires and would require a permit to be obtained prior to conducting a recreational fire.”
The proposed amendments would also allow single and two-family homes to have a recreational fire without a permit under certain conditions.