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

6 governing outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire rings or similar devices at Group R (residential) occupancies, exempting barbeques, grills and other devices intended solely for cooking. 1 allows gas-fueled devices burning only natural gas or liquefied-petroleum gas when approved by the Building Department and designed not to burn wood or solid fuel: single-family (R-3) properties need 3 feet of clearance from combustible construction and vegetation around the device's flame column, while other residential occupancies need 10 feet, unless a Building Department-approved hood and vent is installed.

2 covers wood-burning and other solid-fuel devices, which must be built to California Building Code standards, contained in a firebox with an attached chimney, and fitted with a spark-arresting device; burning wood within 25 feet of a combustible structure is barred unless the fire is in an approved permanent fireplace, with narrower exceptions of 3 feet at R-3 and 15 feet at other R occupancies for portable pits equipped with spark arresters. 7 sets additional rules for fires in public and private parks, including a 3-by-2-foot fire ring limit.