Fremont, CA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Fremont, CA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- FMC § 12.20.060(h)
- Fires allowed only in
- provided or approved stove, brazier, fire pit
- Misdemeanor fine
- up to $1,000 and/or 6 months jail
- Infraction fine (1st)
- up to $100
- Enforcement
- designated parks enforcement officers
Summary
In any Fremont city park or recreation area, an open fire is allowed only in a picnic stove, brazier, fire pit or other device the city has provided or approved for that purpose. Building an unauthorized fire, including a ground fire or portable pit brought from home, is a violation of Municipal Code Section 12.20.060(h).
Within the limits of any public park or recreation area of the city of Fremont, no person shall: ... (h) Make or kindle a fire except in a picnic stove, brazier, fire pit or other appropriate device provided or approved for that purpose by the public authorities.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 02-2026, passed May 5, 2026).
Full Breakdown
060(h) sets the rule for open flame inside any park or recreation area under city jurisdiction: fires may be made or kindled only in a picnic stove, brazier, fire pit or other appropriate device provided or approved for that purpose by the public authorities. 060, which covers the full run of park rules from leash requirements to alcohol possession. 010(a), so the fire-pit rule reaches picnic areas, lakeside grounds and school facilities being used recreationally, not just formal park buildings. 020 may expel from the park anyone who kindles an unauthorized fire, and that person must leave immediately and stay out for the rest of the calendar day unless an enforcement officer allows an earlier return.
Cooking, preparing or eating a picnic meal is separately restricted under subsection (j) to places provided for that purpose, so an approved fire device and an approved cooking area often go together at a Fremont picnic site. The chapter's fire-pit language traces to Ordinance 680 and has carried forward through the 2003 update (Ord. 2524) without a change to the wording of subsection (h).
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 12.20.060(h) is a misdemeanor under the citywide criminal-violation provision, Section 1.15.010(b), chargeable in the enforcement official's discretion as an infraction instead. A misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, under Section 1.15.020(a); an infraction carries $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third within a year under Section 1.15.020(b). Enforcement officers may also expel a violator from the park under Section 12.20.020(b), barring return for the rest of that day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring my own portable fire pit to a Fremont city park?
What happens if I'm caught with an unauthorized fire in a Fremont park?
Does this rule cover backyard fire pits too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fremont
How Fremont compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Fremont to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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