Fire Regulations in San Clemente, CA (2026)
5 verified fire regulations for San Clemente, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
San Clemente lets residential properties run gas or wood-burning fire pits under fire-code clearance rules: gas devices need Building Department approval and 3 to 10 feet of clearance; wood fires must stay 25 feet from combustible structures.
San Clemente Outdoor Fire Pit Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 8.16.050 (Fire Code §§ 307.6, 307.6.1, 307.6.2)
307.6 Outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire rings, or similar devices used at Group R Occupancies. ... Outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire rings, or similar exterior devices used at Group R occupancies shall comply with this section. Exception: Barbeques, grills, and other portable devices intended solely for cooking. ... 307.6.1 Gas-fueled devices. ... Outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and similar d...
Fireworks
San Clemente's Fire Code requires every fireworks display, regardless of shell or mortar size, to be fired electrically, and the applicant must give OCFA a diagram showing the firing point, a fallout radius of 100 feet per inch of shell size, nearby structures, and audience lines. A fireworks exhibit as a business also needs City Council approval or a special event permit.
San Clemente Fireworks Display Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code Section 8.16.105 (Fire Code Sections 5608.2, 5608.3)
5608.2 Firing. ... All fireworks display, regardless of mortar, device, or shell size, shall be electrically fired. Section 5608.3 Application for permit. ... A diagram of the grounds on which the display is to be held showing the point at which the fireworks are to be discharged, the fallout area based on 100 feet per inch of shell size, the location of all buildings, roads, and other means of...
Brush Clearance
The Orange County Fire Authority's fire code official can order flammable vegetation cleared for 10 feet on each side of highways and private streets used for vehicle traffic. Single ornamental trees and fire-resistant ground cover are exempt.
San Clemente Roadway Brush Clearance Rule
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code § 8.16.050 (Fire Code § 325.1)
Section 325 CLEARANCE OF BRUSH OR VEGETATION GROWTH FROM ROADWAYS is hereby added as follows: ... 325.1 Clearance of brush or vegetation growth from roadways. The fire code official is authorized to cause areas within 10 feet (3048 mm) on each side of portions of highways and private streets which are improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic, to be cleared of flammable vegeta...
Outdoor Burning
Outdoor fires burning wood or solid fuel are barred citywide once sustained winds exceed 8 mph with humidity under 25%, a red flag is declared, or OCFA posts a ban notice, and every outdoor fire of any fuel type stops once sustained winds top 20 mph. Fires are also banned outright on city property, rights-of-way, and canyon or coastal-bluff zoned land.
San Clemente Outdoor Burning Ban Rules
Significant RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code Section 8.16.050 (Fire Code Sections 305.6, 307.7)
305.6 Hazardous conditions. ... Outdoor fires burning wood or other solid fuel are not allowed when any of the following conditions applies: 1.when predicted sustained winds exceed 8 MPH and relative humidity is less than 25%, or a red flag condition has been declared ... No outdoor fires using any fuel type are permitted when predicted sustained winds exceed 20 MPH or when such fires present a...
Wildfire Zones
San Clemente designates parts of the city as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under state Government Code Section 51179(a), using the FHSZ map adopted by Ordinance No. 1791 on June 17, 2025 and effective July 24, 2025. Parcels inside these zones face added defensible-space and construction requirements enforced by the Orange County Fire Authority.
San Clemente Very High Fire Hazard Zones
Some RestrictionsSan Clemente Municipal Code Section 8.22.010
The City of San Clemente designates those amended areas identified on the City's Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) map attached as Exhibit "A" to Ordinance No. 1791 adopted by the City Council of the City of San Clemente on the 17th day of June 2025, and made effective on July 24, 2025, as Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in accordance with Section 51179(a) of the Califor...
Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Clemente city rules.
Fire Regulations in Orange County →