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

Tustin City Code § 8104 locally amends the 2025 California Fire Code with a dedicated section covering fire pits, fire rings and outdoor fireplaces at Group R (residential) occupancies. Gas-fueled units burning only natural gas or liquefied-petroleum gas are allowed once the Building Department approves the installation and confirms the device cannot burn wood or other solid fuel; the vertical atmospheric column above the unit must stay three feet clear of combustible construction and vegetation at single-family (R-3) properties, and ten feet clear at other residential occupancies such as apartments and condos, unless a Building Department-approved hood and vent lets construction encroach between the hood bottom and the vent opening.

Wood- or solid-fuel-burning devices face tighter rules: a permanent fireplace must be built to California Building Code clearances with a firebox, attached chimney and a working spark arrester, and no wood or solid-fuel fire may burn within 25 feet of a combustible structure unless it is inside such a permanent fireplace. Portable wood-burning fire rings and pits equipped with a spark arrester get a narrower carve-out: at least 3 feet from combustible construction at single-family homes, and at least 15 feet at other R occupancies.

Barbeques, grills and other devices intended solely for cooking are excluded from this section entirely. Every wood-burning fire, portable or permanent, is also banned outright whenever the fire code official posts a hazard notice, and any outdoor fire is barred when sustained winds exceed 20 mph regardless of fuel type.