Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Fire Regulations

Fire Regulations in Ridgecrest, CA: What Residents Actually Need to Know

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

If you live in Ridgecrest or are thinking about moving there, fire regulations are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Ridgecrest has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of fire regulations, and some of them might surprise you.

Smoke Detectors

Ridgecrest, California, in Kern County requires bed and breakfast inns to install an approved smoke detector in every lodging room, plus fire extinguishers and a posted evacuation plan, as a condition of their use permit.

Key details: Applies to: Bed and breakfast inns only. Requirement: Smoke detector in each lodging room. Also required: 3 fire extinguishers, posted evacuation plan. Citation: Ridgecrest City Code § 106-36(7).

Operating a bed and breakfast without the required in-room smoke detectors, extinguishers, or posted evacuation plan violates the conditional use permit conditions in § 106-36 and can trigger permit revocation.

Outdoor Burning

Ridgecrest prohibits burning brush, trash, lumber, or other combustible material within city limits unless the burner holds a written fire department permit, uses an incinerator between 6 a.m. and noon, or qualifies for the narrow small-pile, 100-foot rural exception.

Key details: Burning without permit: prohibited citywide. Permitted burn hours: 6:00 a.m.–12:00 noon. Required method: incinerator with mesh screen. Violation: misdemeanor, Sec. 6-1.

Violating Secs. 6-2 through 6-4 (including this burning rule) is a misdemeanor under Sec. 6-1, enforced by the Ridgecrest Fire Department.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Ridgecrest actively enforces its outdoor burning requirements.

The Bottom Line

Ridgecrest's fire regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Ridgecrest is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Ridgecrest'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.