GRANITE CITY, Ill. — Temperatures are chilling throughout the St. Louis area as nights get earlier and autumn turns to winter. Some use the opportunity to gather around bonfires to stay warm.
However, some residents may have to get fire department approval before igniting a fire, depending on where they live.
Members of the Granite City Scanner Feed Facebook Group had questions after one member said residents are required to have a permit and a visit from the city's fire department before setting a fire.
"Unfortunately, I read and hear that you are 'supposed to' get a permit from the city to have even the most basic bonfire," an anonymous member of the group posted. "Which also includes $ and a visit from the [Granite City Fire Department] to inspect the fire pit before a permit is issued."
Comments under the post brought up more questions, with some claiming you didn't need a permit while others said you have to go to the fire station in person to get a permit.
5 On Your Side dug into the facts to VERIFY the claim.
The question
Do Granite City residents need a permit before setting a bonfire?
Our sources
The answer
Yes, a valid Granite City Fire Department permit is required before residents can set recreational fires or bonfires. But, the permit is free and does not usually require a visit from the fire department.
What we found
"They most definitely have to file a permit which they can get here through our office at Station One and even after hours they can obtain one of those as well," said Granite City Fire Department Assistant Chief Tood Richey. "If our office is closed, they can go to the shift commander of each shift and should be able to get a fire permit."
The free permit asks residents to list whether they are lighting a recreational fire within a fire pit or a bonfire. Recreational fires are lit inside a fire pit, whereas bonfires are larger and on open ground. The department said bonfires are usually ceremonial, like school celebrations or VFW events.
A permit filled out for a recreational fire is good for one year, while a permit filled out for a bonfire is good for one day.
Firefighters believe the permit is necessary for two reasons: it makes the person wanting to start a fire read through safety requirements, and it lets the fire department know where a fire will be located in case they get calls about smoke.
"We do receive a lot of calls ... We respond to those calls and usually confirm that it's just a bonfire, a recreational fire and see whether everything is legal and they have a valid permit," Richey said.
If someone does set a bonfire without a permit, Richey said the fire will be extinguished and potential tickets will be issued. That is often an extreme situation, however, since the department usually finds offending residents to be unaware of the ordinance.
The permit is part of Granite City's adoption of a section of the International Fire Code, a set of minimum regulations for fire prevention and protection systems set up by the International Code Council.
Granite City's permit requirement reflects the permit requirement set forth in section 307.2 of the IFC.
"A permit shall be obtained ... prior to kindling a fire for recognized silvicultural or range or wildlife management practices, prevention or control of disease or pests, or a bonfire," the IFC's text reads. "Application for such approval shall only be presented by and permits issued to the owner of the land on which the fire is to be kindled."
Despite the International Fire Code's name, the codes aren't mandated on a national level, but are instead voluntarily adopted by numerous government agencies, state governments and municipalities.
St. Louis City does not require permits for recreational fires, which it defines as a wood-burning fire not contained inside an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, or barbeque grill that doesn't take up more than 30 inches in diameter and 18 inches in height.
St. Louis County residents can burn firewood in their yard without a permit, as long as the fire pit is less than three feet long and three feet wide and does not produce smoke that blows into neighboring yards, according to Metro West Fire Protection District Captain Matt Coppin.
St. Charles County does require a burning permit, but only for bonfires, the burning of vegetation waste, or the burning of construction materials.
So, we can VERIFY: Yes, residents of Granite City must apply for a permit before they can legally set a bonfire. But, the permit doesn't cost any money and does not require a visit from the fire department.
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