Fire Regulations in Modesto, CA (2026)
6 verified fire regulations for Modesto, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Modesto bans backyard recreational fires outright (wood fire pits, chimineas, bonfires). Portable outdoor fireplaces (gas/propane appliances) are not categorically banned but remain subject to other city codes, and any fire that is allowed must be constantly attended with an extinguisher on hand.
Backyard Fires Banned; Portable Fire Appliances Restricted
Heavy RestrictionsModesto Municipal Code § 3-1.206 (amending CFC § 307.5; Ord. No. 3802-C.S., § 1, eff. 1-8-26)
Attendance. Open burning or use of portable outdoor fire places as used at one- and two-family dwellings shall be constantly attended until the fire extinguished. Not fewer than one portable fire extinguisher complying with section 906 with a 4A minimum rating and a water hose, water truck or medium of dirt/sand shall be immediately available.
Fireworks
Only California State Fire Marshal-approved 'Safe and Sane' fireworks may be sold or used in Modesto, and only from noon June 28 through noon July 6 each year. All dangerous (aerial/explosive) fireworks are banned and the city imposes some of the steepest fines in California.
Safe-and-Sane Fireworks Allowed June 28 to July 6 Only
Heavy RestrictionsModesto Municipal Code § 3-1.219(1) (Ord. No. 3802-C.S., § 1, eff. 1-8-26)
Retail sale or display with the intent to sell fireworks is limited to State of California Fire Marshal approved and labeled 'Safe and Sane' fireworks within the City of Modesto... Fireworks may be sold or offered for sale from 12:00 noon to 10:00 p.m. on June 28, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on June 29 through July 5, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on July 6.
Brush Clearance
Modesto sits on the Central Valley floor outside CAL FIRE's State Responsibility Area and is not mapped as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so the wildland-urban-interface 100-foot defensible space rule of Public Resources Code 4291 does not generally apply. The city instead enforces brush, weed, and dead-vegetation clearance through Modesto Municipal Code 9-9.509 (Property Maintenance Code), with a 12-inch lawn-height threshold and Fire Prevention Bureau coordination.
fire/brush-clearance
Few RestrictionsCal. Public Resources Code Sec. 4291 (Defensible Space Around Structures in State Responsibility Areas)
4291. (a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following: (1) (A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph (B). The amount of fuel modification necessary sha...
Outdoor Burning
Open burning of grass, weeds, agricultural trimmings, or other combustibles is prohibited in Modesto without a permit from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and permitted burning is restricted to agricultural land within city limits.
Open Burning Needs Air District Permit; Ag Only
Heavy RestrictionsModesto Municipal Code § 3-1.206 (amending CFC § 307.1; Ord. No. 3802-C.S., § 1, eff. 1-8-26)
No person shall kindle, conduct, or maintain any burning of grass, weeds, agricultural trimmings, or other combustibles... without a permit as required by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... Any such permitted burning shall be restricted to agricultural purposes and confined to areas in the city limits in which agricultural uses are lawful or as regulated or prohibi...
Smoke Detectors
Modesto requires interconnected, hardwired smoke alarms with battery backup in every sleeping area, sleeping room and story of Group R dwellings, under the fire safety article of its Property Maintenance Code.
Modesto Smoke Alarm Placement and Power Rules
Some RestrictionsModesto Code of Ordinances § 9-8.2710
Single or multiple-station smoke alarms shall be installed and maintained in Groups R-2, R-3, R-4 and in dwellings not regulated in Group R occupancies, regardless of occupant load at all of the following locations: (a)On the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms.(b)In each room used for sleeping purposes.(c)In each story within a dwelling ...
Propane Storage
Modesto's Fire Code amendment prohibits liquefied petroleum gas (LP-gas) installations in any residential zone regardless of water capacity. Storage is instead confined to Commercial-Industrial, M-1 and M-2 Industrial zones, and to automotive service stations located on commercially zoned property, with an aggregate 2,000-gallon cap per installation.
Modesto Bans LP-Gas Installations in Residential Zones
Significant RestrictionsModesto Code of Ordinances § 3-1.233
Prohibited. LP-gas installations pertinent to systems are not permitted in any residential (R) zones regardless of water capacity. Section 6104.2 of the California Fire Code is hereby adopted by reference, in addition to the following: Within the limits established by law restricting the storage of liquefied petroleum gas for the protection of heavily populated or congested commercial areas, th...
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