Modesto bans backyard recreational fires outright (wood fire pits, chimineas, bonfires). Portable outdoor fireplaces (gas/propane appliances) are not categorically banned but remain subject to other city codes, and any fire that is allowed must be constantly attended with an extinguisher on hand.
Three local amendments combine to ban almost all backyard fires in Modesto. Modesto Municipal Code § 3-1.206 (i) amends CFC § 307.4.2 to prohibit recreational fires (the category that covers backyard fire pits, chimineas, and similar wood-burning appliances), with a narrow exception only for permitted religious ceremonies; (ii) deletes CFC § 307.4.1 entirely (the bonfire allowance); and (iii) amends CFC § 307.4.3 so that portable outdoor fireplaces (typically propane/gas patio appliances) must still comply with any other applicable city codes. Section 307.5 (Attendance) is amended to require that any open burning or portable-outdoor-fireplace use at one- and two-family dwellings be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished, and that at least one 4A-rated portable fire extinguisher plus a water hose, water truck, or dirt/sand be immediately available. Smoke that escapes a property line and bothers neighbors can also be enforced as a public nuisance under separate Modesto Municipal Code provisions.
Administrative penalties under § 3-1.303(b): $500 first violation, $1,000 second violation within 12 months, $1,500 for subsequent violations within 12 months. The city may also recover full response costs (§ 3-1.305) and, where a private nuisance occurs, the resident may face civil abatement under Modesto's general nuisance provisions.
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Modesto, CA
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See how Modesto's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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