Turlock, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Turlock operates its own Fire Department and adopts the California Fire Code through Municipal Code Chapter 4-3. The City's open-burning amendment, Section 4-3-205, allows open burning only of products of agricultural pursuit and only with permits from both the City and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District; it also deletes the Fire Code's bonfire provision (Section 307.4.1). As a result, a traditional backyard bonfire or open wood fire is not a permitted activity in Turlock, and residents should contact the Turlock Fire Department before any outdoor wood fire. Where a small contained wood fire or chiminea is used, it remains subject to the San Joaquin Valley Air District's residential wood-smoke program (Rule 4901): from November 1 through the end of February, the District declares a daily burn status for Stanislaus County and can prohibit all solid-fuel burning on poor-air days. Year-round, Rule 4901 limits visible smoke from wood-burning devices. Propane and natural-gas fire features create no wood smoke, are not affected by Rule 4901, and are the most reliable compliant option for backyard ambiance in Turlock.