Fire pit rules in Hawthorne, CA — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Hawthorne Municipal Code Section 8.32.070 limits cooking, recreational, and ceremonial outdoor fires on private property to commercially produced containers (or containers approved by the LA County Fire Department), and only certain clean fuels are allowed. The City contracts fire protection to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Hawthorne adopts the Los Angeles County Fire Code by reference (Municipal Code Section 8.32.060) and contracts fire protection and inspection to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Section 8.32.070 ('Limitation and restrictions pertaining to recreational fires within the city of Hawthorne') restricts cooking, recreational, or ceremonial outdoor fires on private property so that they are allowed only in commercially produced containers - such as a manufactured fire pit, chiminea, or barbecue - or in a container specifically approved by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The same section limits fuel: such fires may be fueled only by coal, charcoal briquettes, white gas, natural gas, or liquefied natural gas. Open ground fires and the burning of loose yard waste, trash, or construction debris are not permitted (see Outdoor Burning). Because the LA County Fire Code adopts California Fire Code Chapter 3, recreational fires should also be kept a safe distance from structures and combustibles and be constantly attended with a means of extinguishment on hand until the fire is fully out. Wood smoke from residential devices is additionally regulated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).
Recreational fires that do not comply with Section 8.32.070 - for example, an open ground fire or a fire fueled by prohibited materials - may be ordered extinguished by the LA County Fire Department fire code official and are enforceable under the adopted LA County Fire Code and the City's general penalty provisions. Violations of the adopted fire code are typically misdemeanors punishable by fines and/or jail under the California/LA County Fire Code's administrative penalty sections. Code Enforcement (310-349-2945) and the LA County Fire Department investigate complaints of unsafe outdoor fires.
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