Fontana, CA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Fontana, CA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Approval required
- Fontana Fire Protection District sign-off on location
- Barbecue pit fuel
- Wood or other clean solid fuel only
- Hours exemption
- Exempt from 6 a.m.-11 a.m. burning window
- Waste burning
- Prohibited in any grill or pit
- Supervision
- Continuous attendance, full extinguishing required
Summary
Backyard fire pits and barbecue pits in Fontana must have their location and type approved by the Fontana Fire Protection District, and a barbecue pit may only burn wood or other clean solid fuel. Unlike open burning, approved grills and pits are exempt from the city's 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. burning-hours window.
Barbecue pit as used in this chapter shall mean a trench or depression in the ground in which wood or other clean solid fuel is burned to produce a bed of hot coals for the sole purpose of cooking. ... Sec. 11-106. - Approval of location. The location and type of every outside grill and barbecue pit which consists of an independent structure shall be approved by the Fontana Fire Protection District. ... Sec. 11-107. - Use. No outside grill or barbecue pit shall be used for the disposal or burning of combustible waste materials. ... Sec. 11-132. - Hours regulated. (b)The provisions of subsection (a) of this section pertaining to the hours of burning shall not apply to any outside grill or barbecue pit; provided that any fire shall be kept under competent and continuous supervision, and that all inflammable and combustible material shall be removed a sufficient distance from such grill or barbecue pit so as not to constitute a fire hazard; and provided further that all fire or coals in such grill or barbecue pit shall be thoroughly extinguished after the use thereof has been completed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 17).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 11, Division 3 of the Fontana Municipal Code (Sec. 11-106, 11-107) requires that 'the location and type of every outside grill and barbecue pit which consists of an independent structure shall be approved by the Fontana Fire Protection District' before it is built or used. Sec. 11-59 defines a barbecue pit as 'a trench or depression in the ground in which wood or other clean solid fuel is burned to produce a bed of hot coals for the sole purpose of cooking,' distinguishing it from an 'open grill,' a fixed non-combustible structure fired by propane, natural gas, wood or charcoal.
Sec. 11-107 bars using either device 'for the disposal or burning of combustible waste materials,' so yard debris and trash cannot go into a fire pit. Chapter 11 sets a general fire-hazard bar at Sec. 11-58: no incinerator, grill or pit may be built, located or used so as to endanger life or property. Timing matters too: open burning under Sec. , but Sec. ' The Fontana Fire Protection District administers approvals; no numeric setback distance is printed in this chapter, so placement is judged case by case when the district signs off on location.
Violations & Fines
Building, locating or using a fire pit or grill without Fire Protection District approval, or so it becomes a fire hazard, violates Sec. 11-58 and Sec. 11-106. Burning trash or waste in a pit or grill violates Sec. 11-107. Leaving a fire pit or grill unsupervised or coals unextinguished breaches the Sec. 11-132(b) exception, exposing the operator to code enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Fontana?
Can I use a propane grill any time of day?
Can I burn yard waste in my fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fontana
How Fontana compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Fontana to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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