Burbank has no separate backyard-fire ordinance; recreational backyard fires are governed by the 2025 California Fire Code adopted in Burbank Municipal Code 9-1-9. A recreational fire must be 25 feet from structures/combustibles (15 feet for a portable outdoor fireplace, excepted at one- and two-family homes), constantly attended, and never used for open burning of waste, which requires a Fire Code Official permit.
Burbank adopts the California Fire Code (BMC 9-1-9), and CFC Section 307 distinguishes a 'recreational fire' (small outdoor fire for cooking, warmth, or similar, not for waste disposal) from regulated 'open burning.' For a backyard recreational fire the adopted code requires a 25-foot clearance from structures and combustible material (CFC 307.4.2), and a portable outdoor fireplace requires 15 feet except at one- and two-family dwellings (CFC 307.4.3); the fire must be constantly attended until extinguished (CFC 307.5). Burning rubbish or yard waste is not a recreational fire and is allowed only under the limited open-burning permits of BMC 9-1-9-307.1.1.1. The Fire Code Official may order any fire extinguished that creates a hazardous or objectionable condition. South Coast AQMD no-burn (Spare the Air) advisories also restrict wood burning.
Failing to follow the adopted Fire Code (e.g., unattended fire, inadequate clearance, or burning waste without a permit) is a Municipal Code violation and a misdemeanor unless charged as an infraction (BMC 1-1-105); the Fire Code Official may order the fire extinguished.
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