Alhambra, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Alhambra distinguishes between a permitted 'recreational fire' and prohibited open burning. Under the 2022 California Fire Code adopted as Chapter 19.02 of the Municipal Code, a recreational fire is an outdoor fire burning clean wood or charcoal with a fuel area no larger than three feet in diameter and two feet in height, used for pleasure, cooking or warmth. Such fires — and approved portable outdoor fireplaces — are generally allowed at one- and two-family homes without a burn permit, provided they are not used to dispose of waste material. Larger fires, or burning leaves, brush, trash or construction debris, fall under the Fire Department's open-burning rules and require a permit; routine trash burning is also barred by South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) burn-day restrictions. The Alhambra Fire Department's published open-burning requirements set the safety baseline the city applies to outdoor fires: keep a connected garden hose or approved extinguisher readily available, maintain constant adult attendance until the fire is completely out, and keep the fire well clear of combustible structures and fences. The Fire Chief or a designee is expressly authorized to discontinue any burning when smoke emissions are offensive to surrounding occupants or the fire is a hazardous condition. Because Alhambra is dense and flat, the practical risks are wind-blown embers reaching neighbors' eaves and fences and wood smoke drifting across lot lines, which can be cited as a nuisance under SCAQMD Rule 402.