Fire pit rules in Indio, CA — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Indio's Fire Code (Chapter 93) treats fire pits as an approved exception to its general open-fire ban: a backyard fire pit is allowed only if it is a manufactured, safety-listed appliance (UL or equivalent) used in an approved, controlled area. Open ground fires that are not contained in an approved appliance are not permitted.
Under the City of Indio's Fire Code (Chapter 93 of the Municipal Code), it is unlawful to burn any material, structure, matter, or thing in an outdoor fire or incinerator (or by similar means) unless it is within an approved and controlled area, with fireplaces, barbeques, and fire pits cited as examples of acceptable controlled appliances. The City's guidance requires that any outdoor fire appliance - including a fire pit - carry a product-safety listing from a recognized testing laboratory such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL); an applicant may instead submit a field test report demonstrating the appliance meets equivalent safety qualifications. Approval involves the City's Building & Safety Division, the Fire Marshal, and the Planning Division. No other types of outdoor open fires are permitted unless approved as part of a project's conditional use permit. Practically, this means a store-bought, safety-listed propane or wood fire pit used responsibly in a residential yard fits within the approved-appliance category, while a dug-out, uncontained ground fire does not. Indio is served by the Riverside County Fire Department / CAL FIRE under contract, so the Office of the Fire Marshal administers and inspects fire-appliance compliance. The City adopts the California Fire Code (2025 edition, based on the 2024 International Fire Code) by reference under Chapter 93, with local amendments authorized through § 93.07.
Because fire-pit rules are enforced as part of Indio's adopted Fire Code, violations are handled by the Office of the Fire Marshal and City Code Enforcement, which can order an unapproved or unsafe outdoor fire to be extinguished. Specific penalty amounts were not stated in a fetched source; confirm enforcement details with the Indio Fire Marshal's office.
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