Small recreational backyard fires are allowed but tightly regulated under the 2022 California Fire Code, which Ontario adopts. A recreational fire may be no more than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, must stay at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, and must be constantly attended with fire-extinguishing equipment ready.
Ontario enforces the 2022 California Fire Code (CFC) through its Municipal Code. Under CFC Section 307, a 'recreational fire' is an outdoor fire for pleasure, cooking, warmth, or similar purposes with a total fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height, and not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill, or barbecue pit. CFC Section 307.4.2 requires that recreational fires not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material unless contained in a barbecue pit, and that conditions that could spread fire within 25 feet be eliminated before ignition. Section 307.5 requires that the fire be constantly attended by a person knowledgeable in fire-extinguishing equipment until fully extinguished, with buckets, shovels, a garden hose, or a water-type fire extinguisher readily available. Larger ceremonial bonfires are not a routine residential activity - under CFC Section 307.4.1 a bonfire may not be within 50 feet of a structure and requires fire-code-official approval. Only clean dry firewood may be burned; trash, leaves, and yard-waste burning are prohibited (see outdoor-burning).
Non-compliant recreational fires can be ordered immediately extinguished by the Ontario Fire Department, and violations of the adopted California Fire Code are enforceable as code violations (typically an infraction or misdemeanor under CFC Chapter 1), with possible cost recovery for any emergency response.
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