How Daly City Handles Fire Regulations: A Practical Guide

Daly City maintains 102 local ordinances across all categories, and 7 of those deal specifically with fire regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Daly City falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Wildfire Zones

Daly City is a Local Responsibility Area (LRA), not a State Responsibility Area. CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps identify Moderate and High hazard pockets along San Bruno Mountain ridgelines and coastal hillsides; the urban core sits in non-VHFHSZ. Properties in mapped zones face PRC §4291 defensible space, AB 38 disclosure, and Chapter 7A building code requirements.

Key details: Responsibility area: Local Responsibility Area (LRA). Hazard zones: Moderate/High pockets along hillsides. Urban core: Not in any FHSZ. Defensible space: 100 ft if in VHFHSZ (PRC §4291). Building code: CBC Chapter 7A (new construction in FHSZ).

Failure to maintain PRC §4291 defensible space can result in fines up to $500; failure to comply with AB 38 disclosure at sale exposes seller to civil liability; new construction without Chapter 7A compliance cannot pass building inspection.

Propane Storage

Propane (LP-Gas) storage in Daly City is governed by California Fire Code Chapter 61 (LP-Gas), adopted via Daly City Municipal Code Title 4. Residential storage is limited to small cylinders, with quantity, distance, and permit thresholds keyed to container water capacity.

Key details: Code: CFC Chapter 61 (via Title 4). Residential aggregate: ≤500 gal WC without separation. 125-500 gal WC: 10 ft from buildings/property lines. Inside dwellings: Max 1-lb cylinder (CFC 6109.13). BBQ tanks: Store outdoors, ventilated.

California Fire Code violations are misdemeanors under CFC 109; non-permitted storage above thresholds can be ordered abated immediately; non-compliant cylinders may be impounded and operator subject to fines starting at several hundred dollars per CFC schedule.

Brush Clearance

Daly City requires property owners in the designated Southern Hills fire hazard area, abutting San Bruno Mountain, to clear all flammable vegetation including gorse, grass, weeds, and brush. The fire chief designates the hazard area and clearance duties under Municipal Code section 15.32.260.

Key details: Designated area: Southern Hills, NE Daly City by San Bruno Mountain. Target species: Gorse, plus grass, weeds, brush. Chimney clearance: Trees trimmed 10 ft from outlets. Spark screens: Nonflammable, max 1/2-inch openings. Roof maintenance: Free of leaves, needles, dead growth.

Violations of the fire code chapter, including the vegetation management requirements, are misdemeanors punishable under Municipal Code section 1.12.010, and each ten days a prohibited condition is maintained is a separate offense. The fire chief or fire marshal may issue citations under DCMC section 15.32.200.

Compared to other cities, Daly City takes a harder line on brush clearance. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Backyard Fires

Backyard fires in chimineas, fire bowls, and portable fireplaces are allowed in Daly City under the adopted California Fire Code, but only burning clean fuels -- never rubbish or yard waste -- and never during a Bay Area Spare the Air Alert, when all wood burning is illegal indoors and outdoors.

Key details: Allowed devices: Chimineas, fire bowls, portable fireplaces, BBQ grills. Allowed fuels: Clean dry wood, charcoal, propane, natural gas. Banned fuels: Garbage, plastics, yard waste, treated wood. Spare the Air Alerts: All wood fires illegal, $100+ tickets. Clearance: 25 ft open fires; 15 ft portable fireplaces.

Spare the Air violations carry a $100 first ticket (waivable by completing a wood smoke awareness course) and $500 for a second violation, increasing thereafter. Fire code violations, including unattended or oversized fires, are misdemeanors under DCMC section 15.32.190 punishable per section 1.12.010, and the fire department can order any hazardous or objectionable fire extinguished.

Outdoor Burning

Burning yard waste, trash, or debris outdoors is illegal in Daly City. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Regulation 5 bans nearly all open burning region-wide, and the few allowable burn types are agricultural or land-management fires that require a designated burn day.

Key details: Yard waste burning: Prohibited region-wide. Air district rule: BAAQMD Regulation 5 (Open Burning). Allowed burn types: Agricultural/land management only, on burn days. Local fire code: 2022 CFC adopted by DCMC 15.32.010. Complaints: 1-877-4NO-BURN (BAAQMD).

Illegal open burning can draw enforcement and civil penalties from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (complaints: 1-877-4NO-BURN), and violations of the fire code adopted by DCMC Chapter 15.32 are misdemeanors punishable under Municipal Code section 1.12.010, with each ten days of a continuing violation constituting a separate offense.

Compared to other cities, Daly City takes a harder line on outdoor burning. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Fireworks

Daly City prohibits all fireworks, including state-approved safe-and-sane fireworks. Municipal Code Chapter 8.24 (Fireworks Prohibited) bans their sale and discharge, and the city warns violators face fines up to $1,000 and possible county jail booking.

Key details: Safe-and-sane fireworks: Illegal citywide. Code chapter: DCMC Chapter 8.24, Fireworks Prohibited. Fines: Up to $1,000, possible county jail. Reporting: Daly City Police, (650) 991-8119. Public displays: City council permit only (sec. 8.24.080).

The city states that fireworks violators 'can expect a ticket with fines up to $1,000 and in some cases will be booked into County jail.' Violations of the adopted fire code are misdemeanors punishable under Municipal Code section 1.12.010, and NCFA warns that fines and penalties for distribution or use of illegal fireworks have increased and will be strictly enforced. Report fireworks to Daly City Police at (650) 991-8119.

Compared to other cities, Daly City takes a harder line on fireworks. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Fire Pit Rules

Wood-burning fire pits are allowed in Daly City only as code-compliant recreational fires: 3 feet across or less, at least 25 feet from structures, and constantly attended. Using any wood-burning device, including outdoor fire pits, is illegal during a Spare the Air Alert.

Key details: Max size: 3 ft diameter, 2 ft high (recreational fire). Distance from structures: 25 ft; 15 ft for portable outdoor fireplaces. Attendance: Constant, with extinguishing equipment. Spare the Air Alerts: All wood burning illegal, including fire pits. Gas/propane fire pits: Exempt from wood-burning bans.

Fire code violations are misdemeanors under DCMC section 15.32.190, punishable per Municipal Code section 1.12.010, and the fire chief or fire marshal may issue citations directly under section 15.32.200. First-time Spare the Air violators may take a wood smoke awareness course or pay a $100 ticket; a second violation brings a $500 ticket, with amounts increasing after that.

The Bottom Line

Daly City is tougher than many cities when it comes to fire regulations. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Daly City, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Daly City's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.