Tustin, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Backyard fires in Tustin fall under two overlapping systems. First, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), which provides Tustin's fire protection, enforces the California Fire Code. Under that code, a recreational fire (a small wood or charcoal fire used for cooking, warmth, or enjoyment, not for waste disposal) must not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material (Section 307.4.2), while a manufactured portable outdoor fireplace must be 15 feet away, except at one- and two-family dwellings (Section 307.4.3). Any such fire must be constantly attended until fully extinguished, with extinguishing equipment, such as a 4-A rated portable extinguisher, a garden hose, sand, or a water barrel, immediately available (Section 307.5). Second, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) regulates air quality: its Rule 444 exempts recreational and cooking fires from the open-burn prohibition, but South Coast AQMD can declare mandatory no-burn days when residential wood burning is banned, so on poor-air days a gas-fueled fire is the compliant option. What is never allowed is using a backyard fire to burn trash, leaves, or yard waste, that disposal burning is prohibited regardless of distance. No Tustin-specific backyard-fire ordinance was identified; the controlling rules are the state fire code (via OCFA) and South Coast AQMD's air rules. Because eastern and foothill Tustin touches mapped fire hazard zones, residents there should be especially cautious with open flame and check conditions before lighting any fire.