Madera County, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Two rule sets govern backyard fires in Madera County. For outdoor recreational fires, the California Fire Code adopted in county code Title 14, Division II, Chapter 14.35 applies: a recreational fire must be at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, must be attended until fully extinguished, and must have a fire extinguisher or comparable control nearby. For wood smoke from fireplaces and wood stoves, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District enforces Rule 4901 (Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program), which runs annually from November 1 through the end of February. During this 'Check Before You Burn' season the District declares no-burn days based on air quality; on a declared no-burn day, burning any solid fuel, including wood, pellets and manufactured logs such as Duraflame, is prohibited from midnight to midnight in both indoor and outdoor residential devices. Households with a registered clean-burning device may burn wood indoors; use of an unregistered wood-burning device is prohibited on no-burn days. Limited exemptions exist for homes without natural gas service or where wood is the sole source of heat. In foothill SRA areas, CAL FIRE seasonal restrictions can further limit any open flame.