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

Chapter 9.48, Camping Within the City Limits, was enacted under the police power granted cities by Article XI, Section 11 of the California Constitution to prevent the destruction, health hazards, and land degradation that unregulated camping causes (§ 9.48.010). Within that chapter, § 9.48.050 states flatly that "no person shall kindle or maintain an open campfire, bonfire, or flame," without distinguishing a campsite blaze from a backyard fire pit and without writing in any setback or enclosed-container exception; the section only preserves the force of any stricter law or permit requirement elsewhere.

The surrounding sections regulate camping specifically: § 9.48.030 bars camping on City-owned public property such as streets, parks, and parking lots, and § 9.48.040 bars camping on private property except with the landowner's consent, on one's own land, or in a permitted campground or trailer park under the Zoning Ordinance. Section 9.48.050's campfire ban carries no similar consent-based exception, so it applies as a standalone open-flame prohibition throughout the city rather than only to people who are camping.