Yuba County, CA Fire Regulations: Fire Pit Rules (2026)

Yuba County has adopted the uniform building and fire codes required by the California Building Standards Commission into its ordinance code, so the California Fire Code (CCR Title 24, Part 9) governs outdoor fires in the unincorporated county. Under California Fire Code section 307.4, a recreational fire (a fire to cook food or for warmth/recreation, not for waste disposal) must not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material. Section 307.4.3 allows portable outdoor fireplaces (chimineas and similar manufactured units) but requires they be used per the manufacturer's instructions and kept at least 15 feet from a structure or combustible material - with an exception for portable outdoor fireplaces used at one- and two-family dwellings. Section 307.5 requires that any open burning, bonfire, recreational fire, or portable outdoor fireplace be constantly attended until the fire is fully extinguished, with a fire extinguisher (minimum 4-A rating) or other on-site fire-extinguishing equipment available. Separately, smoke from any outdoor fire is regulated by the Feather River Air Quality Management District (FRAQMD); a fire pit used to burn yard waste is treated as open burning and is subject to FRAQMD Regulation II (see Outdoor Burning). In the foothill State Responsibility Area, CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit declares a fire season (historically beginning around May 1) during which a CAL FIRE burn permit is required, and burning may be suspended entirely on high-danger days.