The Nosy Neighbor

Have you ever had one of those neighbors who complains about EVERYTHING?
I know Kevin has but it seems now so do I.

There is this older lady, and who knows who else, who lives behind my borther's house where I now reside. Last night after a long, grueling day of yard work and planting flowers, my brother decided to try out his new fire pit. I told him not to put it on the deck at least but he was determined to try it out on the deck. The deck was wet, there was no wind, no ash, no smoke-or very little, and 3 people standing around watching it next to a hose.

The fire hadn't even been going 5 minutes when this lady popped her head over the fence and started yelling at us saying we're wrong, that we have to have a permit, this and that and the other.

My brother tried to be calm and sensisble and it was I who went off hte deep end. I could've been much meaner but I told her to go back home and mind her business as well as call her a bitch quite a few times.

Now usually I have a very ling fuse and don't talk back to people.
Maybe it's my repressed anger, or my anger at the neighbor growing up who used to yell at me for walking in my own back yard, but America is land of the free and I feel that if I don't tell you how to live, you shouldn't tell me.

This was the second time I've dealt with this lady. The first was a few weeks ago while I was raking leaves and playing with my dog- who doesn't reside with me.
She came out yelling the she hates dogs that bark like that, she got the last people in our house to move, she's calling the police, etc.

The sad thing is, she actually does call the police, fire dept. etc.

So even though we knew we were in our rights last night, my borther called the fire departement to check the laws. We were right but they said that if she calls they have to come out and put the fire out anyway even though it's legal because we're basically at her mercy.

I know this lady does nothing but watch our house to see if we're living to her standards.
Where I live, I won't stand for this kind of harassment. I'm afraid I really might lose it and accidentally turn the hose on in her direction or throw dirt at her or something.
I know I'm better than that but my temper is getting the better of me.

Any suggestions on how to handle this?
Normally I'd just ignore her but it's hard to ignore city officials with sirens blaring when they show up, too.