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

6 of the amended Orange City Fire Code governs 'outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire rings, or similar exterior devices used at premises containing Group R occupancies,' but the section carves out an exception for 'barbeques, grills, and other portable devices intended solely for cooking,' which fall under a different chapter instead. 1 allows gas-fueled fireplaces and fire pits fueled by natural gas or liquefied-petroleum gas once the City of Orange Building Division approves the device and confirms it burns only a gas flame, not wood or solid fuel.

At single-family (Group R division 3) properties, combustible construction must stay at least 3 feet from the vertical column above the device; at other Group R occupancies, that clearance grows to 10 feet, though a permanent, Building Department-approved hood and vent can let combustible construction encroach between the hood's bottom and the vent opening. 2. 2 covers wood-burning and other solid-fuel devices: they must be built to the California Building Code, contained in a firebox with an attached, spark-arrestor-equipped chimney, and kept at least 15 feet from combustible structures, with any condition that could spread fire within 25 feet of a structure or vegetation eliminated before lighting.

1 then closes the loop geographically: wood and solid-fuel burning in devices other than permanent fireplaces is barred inside fuel modification zones and within Wildfire Risk Areas or Wildland-Urban Interface Areas, unless the fire code official finds the device's location or design would reasonably prevent a wildfire start.