Long Beach, CA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Long Beach, CA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Yes, before any recreational fire (fire pits, etc.)
- Permit cost
- Issued without cost
- Issuing authority
- Long Beach Fire Code Official
- Governing section
- LBMC § 18.48.250 (CFC § 307.4.2.1, added)
- Penalty for noncompliance
- Misdemeanor; separate offense per day (§18.48.200)
Summary
Long Beach requires a free permit from the Fire Code Official before any recreational fire -- fire pits, chimineas and similar backyard fires -- under Section 18.48.250's amendment to California Fire Code Section 307.4.2, layered on top of the general Section 307 recreational-fire standards.
18.48.250 - CFC Chapter 3, Section 307.4.2-Recreational fires. Section 307.4.2 of Chapter 3 of the California Fire Code is amended by the addition of Section 307.4.2.1 to read as follows: 307.4.2.1 Recreational fires. Recreational fires shall be in accordance with Section 307. Recreational fires shall not be conducted unless the Fire Code Official has issued a permit allowing such fires. For recreational fires, this permit shall be issued without cost.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
1, which states that recreational fires -- the code's term for fire pits and other small, contained backyard fires -- must comply with Section 307's general recreational-fire standards, but adds a distinctly local requirement: no recreational fire may be conducted unless the Fire Code Official has first issued a permit allowing it. Unlike many of the Fire Code's other permit categories, this one is issued at no cost, so the barrier to a legal backyard fire in Long Beach is procedural rather than financial -- residents must apply to and receive permit authorization from the Fire Code Official before lighting a fire pit, rather than being free to burn at will once general safety practices are met.
The City amended this section in its entirety through Ordinance ORD-25-0019 in 2025; the prior version, adopted by ORD-22-0033 in 2022, was titled 'General' rather than 'Recreational fires' and did not carry the same permit mandate. 2 remain otherwise in force, Long Beach layers its local no-cost permit requirement on top of, rather than instead of, the state model code's recreational-fire provision.
Violations & Fines
Conducting a recreational fire without first obtaining the free permit from the Fire Code Official violates Section 18.48.250, and Section 18.48.200's general Fire Code violation-penalties clause makes that a misdemeanor, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense enforceable by the Long Beach Fire Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Long Beach?
Does the recreational-fire permit cost anything?
Who issues the recreational-fire permit and what happens without one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
How Long Beach compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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