Santa Barbara, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Backyard fires in the City of Santa Barbara are governed by the City Fire Code (Municipal Code Chapter 8.04, Ordinance No. 5920). In the City's High Fire Hazard Area (the wildfire-prone foothill neighborhoods), Section 4909.9 provides that 'outdoor fires shall not be built, ignited or maintained' except by permit from the fire code official, and never when high winds are blowing, when no person age 17 or over is present to watch and tend the fire, or when the fire code official declares a Red Flag Warning. The City Fire Department confirms that during a Red Flag Warning all burn permits are cancelled and all burning is banned; a symbolic red flag is raised in the Riviera and Eucalyptus Hill neighborhoods. Recreational appliances such as barbecues, grills, and outdoor fireplaces are treated separately under Section 4909.10 and must be at least 30 feet from grass, brush, or forested areas with spark-arrester-covered openings. Outside the High Fire Hazard Area, the amended Section 307.1.2 still prohibits any open burning that is offensive or objectionable because of smoke or that local conditions make hazardous, and the Santa Barbara County APCD separately bans residential waste burning. Practically, recreational cooking fires in proper appliances are allowed in most of the city with vegetation clearance, but open wood fires in the foothills require a permit and are subject to weather bans.