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

510, governs devices using wood or fuels other than natural gas or LPG. A permanent outdoor fireplace burning wood or solid fuel must be built to California Building Code clearance standards, must contain fires within a firebox with an attached chimney, and that firebox opening must carry an installed and maintained spark-arresting method. Absent an approved permanent fireplace, burning wood or solid fuel in a device within 25 feet of a combustible structure is not allowed, and any condition that could spread fire within that 25 feet to a structure or vegetation must be eliminated before ignition.

Two exceptions shrink that setback for portable equipment fitted with a spark arrester: fire rings and pits may sit as close as 3 feet from combustible construction at single-family (R-3) occupancies, or 15 feet at other residential occupancies. 1, Where Prohibited, bars burning wood or solid fuel entirely within a fuel modification zone, a Wildfire Risk Area, a Wildland-Urban Interface Area, or anywhere conditions could spread fire into those zones, except for permanent fireplaces sited outside a fuel modification zone or where the Fire Code Official determines the device's location or design reasonably prevents a wildfire start.

6's wind and humidity ban, so a compliant fire pit still cannot be lit once sustained winds exceed 8 mph with humidity under 25 percent, or a red-flag condition or Fire Code Official posting is in effect.