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

Sec. 50(i), part of the city's development standards for detached accessory structures in the R1 and R2 zoning districts, singles out anything with a cooking or smoke-producing component: barbecues, fire pits, chimneys and outdoor kitchens are named specifically and must sit at least 5 feet from both side and rear property lines. That 5-foot line is stricter than the general accessory-structure setback rules in the same section, which let small or low structures drop to a zero-foot side or rear setback; a built-in fire pit or masonry barbecue can never use that zero-foot allowance.

The rule reaches only structures, so it covers a permanent fire pit, an outdoor fireplace, a chimney or a built outdoor kitchen island, not a portable propane fire table set on a patio. 50, including the one-foot roof eave allowance, the 10-foot separation from other structures, and subsection (m)'s requirement that all accessory structures comply with applicable building and fire codes. Because a fire pit or outdoor kitchen typically includes gas lines, masonry or electrical work, it will usually also trigger a building permit under Chapter 8 even where the underlying accessory structure itself would otherwise be exempt from a zoning permit.