Having a smoker on my ground-floor apartment patio

S

SundaySmoker

Guest
Jurisdiction
Nebraska
I have a smoker. It's a steel drum. The lid is always on, and the only time that there is an open flame is when I'm using a chimney to start it.
I live on the ground floor of my apartment building. I have a cement patio, the building facade is all brick.

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My lease says

p. Not to use any type of grill or fire pit on individual apartment balconies;

My property manager says
GRILLS:
·The only type of grills allowed by city code is an electric grill, all other grills can be a fire hazard and are not allowed. If you have a gas grill or charcoal grill, it needs to be removed. We have 2 grills in the pool area and 3 on the 8th floor terrace for your convenience.
Also, please remove ALL grills from balconies/patios.


City Fire Code says
Do not use or store barbecue grills on common balconies used for exiting.
It is strongly recommended that barbecue grills not be used on balconies or terraces.
Charcoal grills on combustible decks/balconies are prohibited in multi-family occupancies.
Only a Propane grill, fueled by no larger than a 1 lb. Propane bottle, is permitted above the ground floor of complexes with 3 or more apartments
1. My private patio, not a balcony.
2. Again, I'm on the ground floor.
3. Cement patio, non-combustible.
4. Again, I'm on the ground floor.

International Fire Code says
308.1.4 Open-flame cooking devices. Charcoal burners
and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated
on balconies or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of any
building or combustible construction.
No combustible construction near my charcoal smoker, and once again I'm not on a balcony.

I believe that I am completely within my lease and fire code and everything under the sun to have my smoker. I will even buy a fire extinguisher and keep it within a few feet of my smoker.
I will even go so far as to buying a non-combustible platform so that I can move my smoker OFF my patio and onto the grass a few feet away and set it on there.
There's also a water spigot or whatever it's called ~20 feet from my patio, not opposed to buying a water key and hose and sprinkler or whatever to prove my point.

So, am I within reason here?

Thank you.
 
You have a non-electric cooking decide on your patio, in a multi-unit building. It goes. Smokers can catch things on fire. Leaves and other combustibles can be blown onto a patio. Smokers can tip over, or be knocked over.
 
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