Alhambra, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

The Alhambra Fire Department (301 North First Street; (626) 570-5193) publishes formal Requirements for Open Burning that implement California Fire Code Section 307. Before any open burning begins, a permit must be obtained from the Fire Department, and a sketch showing the person-in-charge, address, phone, date and time of burning, the burn site, and the type of material to be burned must be submitted first; the usual permit fee is waived only for religious burning. Open burning may be performed only when time and atmospheric conditions comply with the limits set in the permit. The handout states open burning 'shall not be conducted within 50 feet of any structure or other combustible material,' and conditions that could let the fire spread within 50 feet must be eliminated before ignition. Clearance may be reduced to not less than 15 feet when burning is conducted in an approved appliance, or not less than 25 feet when the pile is 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height. A garden hose connected to a water supply or other approved extinguishing equipment must be readily available, and the fire must be constantly attended by someone knowledgeable in fire extinguishment and familiar with the permit limits until it is fully out. The Fire Chief or a designee may discontinue any burn if smoke emissions are offensive to surrounding occupants or the burning constitutes a hazardous condition. Separately, the South Coast Air Quality Management District restricts outdoor burning to permissive burn days, so routine yard-waste and trash burning is effectively prohibited in this dense urban area.