8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Tulare County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Tulare County has no separate fire-pit ordinance; rules come from the adopted 2022 California Fire Code (Section 307). Recreational fires must be at least 25 feet from anything combustible, and portable outdoor fireplaces at least 15 feet. Burning trash or rubbish in a fire pit is prohibited.
California Fire Code § 307.4 (as adopted by Tulare County Ord. Code Ch. 7-15)
Outdoor fireplaces and other approved devices are allowed if they comply with the following conditions: Fuel is to be clean, dry wood and/or charcoal without coatings or preservatives. No debris, trash, garbage, demolition materials or yard waste shall be burned. The fire is contained in a fire bowl, fire pit, chiminea or outdoor fireplace that has a fire area not larger than three feet in diam...
In unincorporated Tulare County, all fireworks are banned in the foothill/mountain State Responsibility Area. Only safe-and-sane fireworks are allowed on the valley floor (Local Responsibility Area), sold by permitted nonprofits during a short window around July 4. Dangerous fireworks are banned countywide. Violations are misdemeanors.
Tulare County Ordinance Code Chapter 4-5 (Safety Regulations) — Fireworks Article
It is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale or display for sale any Safe and Sane Fireworks within the unincorporated area of the County known as the Local Responsibility Area ('LRA') designated by Cal Fire on the valley floor within which the Tulare County Fire Department has fire suppression responsibility without first obtaining a permit from the County Fire Chief or his or her des...
Tulare County's Fire Hazardous Weeds and Rubbish Ordinance (Chapter 4-11) declares dry weeds, grass, and combustible rubbish a public nuisance. Owners must abate them; the County Fire Chief can order abatement and, if ignored, clear the property and bill the owner via a tax lien. State law (PRC 4291) requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures.
Outdoor burning of waste, rubbish, and trash is prohibited in unincorporated Tulare County. Residential yard-waste burning is generally not allowed under San Joaquin Valley air rules. In the foothills/mountains (State Responsibility Area), permitted residential and agricultural burning requires a CAL FIRE burn permit, a permissive burn day, and is suspended during fire season.
Cal Fire Burn Permit Program (Public Resources Code § 4423) + SJVAPCD Rules 4103/4106
Burn permits within the State Responsibility Area can be applied for online through CAL FIRE's Burn Permit website. Burn permits are required for Hazard Reduction Burning by both California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD). Only dry, natural vegetation such as leaves, pine needles and tree trimmings may be burn...
Much of unincorporated Tulare County's foothills and mountains is a Cal Fire State Responsibility Area with high and very-high Fire Hazard Severity Zones — the 2020 SQF Complex (Castle) Fire burned this terrain. New CAL FIRE hazard maps reached the county in March 2025. Properties in these zones face 100-foot defensible space, ignition-resistant building standards, and hazard disclosure requirements.
Unincorporated Tulare County has no separate smoke-alarm ordinance; requirements come from the adopted 2022 California Building/Residential Code and state law. Smoke alarms are required in each sleeping room, outside sleeping areas, and on every level of a dwelling, plus carbon monoxide alarms. The Tulare County Building (Resource Management) division enforces these at construction, sale, and remodel.
Backyard recreational fires in unincorporated Tulare County follow the adopted 2022 California Fire Code: a wood or charcoal fire for cooking or warmth, kept small, at least 25 feet from anything combustible, attended at all times. Burning trash, rubbish, or yard waste in a backyard fire is prohibited, and the fire official can order any hazardous fire put out.
Cal Fire Tulare Unit residential burn guidance + Tulare County Ord. Code Ch. 7-15 (CFC § 307)
Only dry, natural vegetation such as leaves, pine needles and tree trimmings may be burned, and the burning of trash, wood or other debris isn't allowed. Burn piles should be no larger than four feet in diameter and in height, you can add to the pile as it burns down, and a 10 foot diameter perimeter should be created around the burn area. Those burning should have a shovel and water nearby.
Propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Tulare County is governed by the adopted 2022 California Fire Code (Chapter 61) and NFPA 58, enforced by the Tulare County Fire Chief. Small home cylinders are generally exempt, but larger tanks and aggregate storage trigger permit, clearance, and protection requirements. Permits are required for amounts above code thresholds.
2 cities in Tulare County have their own fire regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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