Fire pit rules in San Leandro, CA — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
San Leandro adopts the 2022 California Fire Code under SLMC §7-5-810, which incorporates California Fire Code §307.4 governing recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces. Wood burning in outdoor fire pits is also illegal anywhere in the Bay Area on any day a Spare the Air Alert is in effect (BAAQMD Regulation 6, Rule 3).
San Leandro Municipal Code Chapter 7-5, Article 8 (last amended by Ord. 2022-014, Dec. 5, 2022) adopts the 2022 California Fire Code (CCR Title 24, Part 9) by reference. CFC §307.4.2 limits recreational fires to fires not more than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height burning materials other than rubbish; under §307.4.2 they must be at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material. CFC §307.4.3 allows portable outdoor fireplaces but they must be used per the manufacturer's instructions and kept at least 15 feet from a structure or combustible material at Group R-3 (single-family) occupancies. Layered on top, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Wood Burning Rule (Regulation 6, Rule 3, amended Oct. 1, 2025) makes it illegal to burn wood, manufactured logs, pellets, or any solid fuel in an outdoor fire pit on any day a Spare the Air Alert is issued for fine particulate (PM2.5); the rule applies year-round (it formerly applied only Nov-Feb) and the alert threshold dropped from 35 to 25 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025, meaning 19-41 alerts per year are expected. Natural-gas and propane fire pits are not affected by the wood-burning rule.
Recreational-fire violations of the California Fire Code are enforced by the Alameda County Fire Department (which contracts to provide fire services to San Leandro) and are misdemeanors under CFC §109.3 / Health & Safety Code §13871, punishable by fines and abatement. BAAQMD wood-burning violations carry an administrative fine that starts at $100 for a first offense and escalates to $500+ per day for repeat offenses; BAAQMD takes complaints at 1-877-4NO-BURN.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
San Leandro, CA
SLMC §4-1-1115 prohibits use of any loudspeaker, loudspeaker system, public address or similar device between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. when it disturbs neigh...
San Leandro, CA
San Leandro is unusual among Bay Area cities: SLMC Article 11 sets only one numeric noise threshold — 5 decibels above ambient at the complainant's property ...
San Leandro, CA
San Leandro does not recognize any 'dibs' or 'savie' parking custom. Public streets are public space — placing chairs, cones, garbage cans, or other objects ...
San Leandro, CA
Permitted fence/wall materials are wood, steel, finished concrete, and stucco. Chain-link and corrugated metal fencing are prohibited. Street-facing fences m...
San Leandro, CA
Retaining walls 4 feet or less measured from bottom of footing to top of wall are exempt from a building permit, unless they support a surcharge (e.g., drive...
San Leandro, CA
San Leandro has no standalone hoarding statute, but SLMC §4-11-1100 caps household dogs at two and applies an Animal Permit requirement to additional animals...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Alameda County.
See how other cities in Alameda County handle fire pit rules.
See how San Leandro's fire pit rules rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.