Hanford, CA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

Hanford Municipal Code § 15.02.030(D)(7) adds subsection 307.1.1a to the amended California Fire Code, Part 9, permitting barbecue pits and outdoor fireplaces built in accordance with the California Building Code, Part 2, provided every unit is maintained in good condition and repair at all times and a minimum clearance of 15 feet is kept between the barbecue or fireplace and all rubbish, dry grass, weeds, vegetation, and other combustible material.

Two conditions run together: construction and clearance. The unit must be built to California Building Code standards, which for a permanent masonry or gas fire feature generally means it goes through the Building Division's normal plan-check and permit process rather than the low-height work exemptions covering fences and retaining walls under § 15.02.030(A)-(B). Separately, regardless of how the unit is built, the owner must keep 15 feet of clearance from combustible material at all times, not just at installation; the 'maintained in good condition' language makes ongoing upkeep, not just initial construction, part of the standard.

This clearance requirement is distinct from the citywide open-burning ban at § 15.02.030(D)(6): a barbecue pit or outdoor fireplace meeting the construction-and-clearance standard is permitted separately from that prohibition rather than needing one of that section's seven case-by-case exceptions.