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

6 does not ban backyard fire pits, bonfires or outdoor fireplaces outright, but it tightly controls what can burn in them and how much smoke or odor they can produce. Only clean fuel is allowed: trash, yard waste, rubbish and paper are explicitly off-limits, which rules out feeding a fire pit with raked leaves, cardboard or household refuse. Beyond the fuel restriction, the section gives the fire code official broad nuisance authority. If smoke or odor from a bonfire, recreational fire or outdoor fireplace becomes hazardous, the official can order it extinguished on the spot, and a single complaint from a neighboring property is treated as prima facie evidence of a nuisance, meaning the burner bears the burden of showing the fire wasn't a problem once a complaint is lodged.

1's open-burning authorization requirement in Chapter 13's local amendments (Ordinance No. 6 covers everyday recreational fires and layers on a fuel and nuisance standard regardless of approval status. Neither section sets a numeric setback distance from structures or property lines for a fire pit; the controlling limits here are what you burn and how much smoke it makes, not how far the pit sits from a fence.