Fire Regulations in Tulare, CA (2026)
6 verified fire regulations for Tulare, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pit Rules
Tulare Municipal Code Ch. 3.12 (Outdoor Burning) permits residential fire pits, chimineas and outdoor fireplaces only if the fire area is 3 feet or less in diameter, fuel is clean dry wood or charcoal, and the device sits at least 10 feet from any structure or combustible material (exception for outdoor fireplaces at one- and two-family dwellings). Fires must be constantly attended by a non-impaired adult.
Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits — 3-foot maximum, 10-foot setback
Some RestrictionsFireworks
Tulare Municipal Code § 3.08.080 allows the sale and discharge of California State Fire Marshal-classified 'Safe and Sane' fireworks on private property only during the Independence Day window. Permit applications for sales booths must be filed with the Fire Marshal by 5:00 p.m. May 1. All bottle rockets, sky rockets, firecrackers, M-80s and aerial fireworks remain illegal under TMC § 3.08.040 and Cal. Health & Safety Code § 12500 et seq.
Safe-and-sane fireworks legal; illegal fireworks carry zero tolerance
Some RestrictionsBrush Clearance
Tulare Municipal Code Chapter 3.22 (HAZARD/WEED ABATEMENT) makes it the duty of every property owner to keep parcels free of dry weeds, brush, rubbish and other fire hazards. The Tulare Fire Department's Prevention Bureau inspects city parcels annually, posts notice, and may abate at owner expense (lien) if not corrected. The city is not in a CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so PRC 4291's 100-foot defensible-space rule does not directly apply, but TMC Ch. 3.22 is the local equivalent.
Weed and rubbish abatement — TMC Ch. 3.22 (Hazard/Weed Abatement)
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Burning
Tulare Municipal Code Chapter 3.12 (Outdoor Burning) regulates all open burning. Open burning of yard waste, trash and construction debris is prohibited; only contained recreational fires (3-foot fire bowl, clean wood/charcoal) and approved cooking are allowed. The city is also inside the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District where SJVAPCD Rules 4103 (Open Burning) and 4901 (Wood-Burning Devices) layer additional restrictions and require Air District burn permits for any agricultural or hazard-reduction burn.
Open outdoor burning — TMC Ch. 3.12 plus SJVAPCD Rules 4103/4106
Heavy RestrictionsWildfire Zones
The City of Tulare sits on the San Joaquin Valley floor in a Local Responsibility Area (LRA) and is not mapped as a Moderate, High, or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) in CAL FIRE's 2025 LRA FHSZ rollout. As a result, the state Public Resources Code § 4291 100-foot defensible-space rule, Government Code § 51182 vegetation-clearance requirements, and Chapter 7A of the California Building Code (wildland-urban interface ignition-resistant construction) do not directly apply inside city limits.
City of Tulare not in a CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone
Few RestrictionsPropane Storage
Tulare does not maintain a stand-alone propane ordinance. By TMC § 3.08.010, the city adopts the California Fire Code (Title 24 Part 9), whose Chapter 61 (Liquefied Petroleum Gases) and NFPA 58 (LP-Gas Code) control container size, location, setbacks and permitting. Residential portable cylinders up to 5 lb may be stored indoors per CFC § 6109.4; larger tanks (any LP-gas exceeding 125 gal aggregate water capacity) require a Tulare Fire Department operational permit per CFC § 105.5.30.
Propane (LP-gas) — governed by adopted California Fire Code Ch. 61
Some RestrictionsLooking for Tulare County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tulare city rules.
Fire Regulations in Tulare County →