Fullerton, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Under Fullerton Municipal Code § 13.20.150 (Title 13, Chapter 13.20 — the local amendment to the California Fire Code), residents of occupied one- and two-family dwellings may have a backyard fire 'in a permanent or portable barbeque, gas outdoor fireplace, fire pits, fire rings, or gas grill where they are a minimum of 30 feet from a grass, grain, brush, or forest-covered area.' All of the following must also be true: a person 18 or older is present and tending the fire, no public announcement of an open burning prohibition is in effect, a viable water source or approved extinguisher is immediately available, predicted sustained winds are 8 MPH or less, and no red flag warning has been declared. Fires may not be used to dispose of trash or combustible waste. Properties within the city's fuel modification area cannot use wood or other solid fuel — only gas appliances. Properties within the updated Very High or High Fire Hazard Severity Zones adopted into Chapter 13.19 on May 6, 2025 (chiefly West and East Coyote Hills) are subject to additional restrictions and California Building Code Chapter 7A construction standards. Statewide, SCAQMD wood-burning no-burn alerts override the local rule and apply across the entire South Coast Air Basin.