Wood-burning fire pits are restricted in Santa Clara County due to BAAQMD rules and fire-safety concerns. Gas and propane pits are allowed with setbacks. Spare the Air days ban all outdoor wood fires.
Recreational backyard fires in unincorporated Santa Clara County sit at the intersection of air-quality rules and fire safety. BAAQMD Regulation 5 allows small cooking fires year-round but prohibits open wood burning on Spare the Air days, which occur on roughly 15 to 25 days per winter. Even when not prohibited, wood-burning fire pits are discouraged in smoke-sensitive neighborhoods and in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) in the west foothills, where open flames are restricted from May through October during wildfire season. Propane and natural-gas fire features are generally allowed year-round with the same setbacks applied to outdoor grills: minimum 10 feet from structures, not under eaves or combustible overhangs, with a clear area free of vegetation. Portable fire pits must be on non-combustible surfaces. Charcoal grills for cooking are permitted. Outside VHFHSZ, portable wood-burning pits are allowed on non-Spare-the-Air days with adult supervision.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how Santa Clara County's backyard fires rules stack up against other locations.
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