Chino Hills, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Chino Hills, CA, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Ban trigger
- red-flag warning or fire weather watch
- Governing section
- CHMC § 8.16.040 (Fire Code § 307.1.1)
- Extinguishment authority
- fire code official, § 307.3
- Related rule
- spark arrestors required, § 313.1.2
- Misdemeanor penalty
- up to $1,000, 6 months jail
Summary
Chino Hills prohibits open burning and recreational fires whenever atmospheric or local conditions make them hazardous, including any time the National Weather Service issues a red-flag warning or fire weather watch for the area.
307.1 General. A person shall not kindle or maintain or authorize to be kindled or maintained any open burning or recreational fires unless conducted and approved in accordance with Sections 307.1.1 through 307.5. 307.1.1 Prohibited open burning. Opening burning and recreational fires shall be prohibited when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fire hazardous. This shall include when a red-flag warning or a fire weather watch condition has been issued by the National Weather Service.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
1, "Prohibited open burning," goes further than the base code: "opening burning and recreational fires shall be prohibited when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fire hazardous. 060 findings, "frequent periods of drought and low humidity" and "severe 'Santa Ana' winds," the red-flag trigger effectively suspends any burning without needing a separate case-by-case city declaration. 2, separately bans operating an unshielded internal combustion engine "in, upon or adjoining any hazardous fire area" unless it carries a working spark arrestor, closing off another wildfire ignition source tied to the same fire-weather conditions that trigger the burning ban.
Violations & Fines
Violating the open burning prohibition is a misdemeanor under amended § 113.4, punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in county jail, with each day of continued burning a separate offense; the fire code official can also order immediate extinguishment under § 307.3 and issue an administrative citation under the District's citation ordinance in place of, or in addition to, criminal charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a backyard fire pit in Chino Hills?
Who can order me to put out an open fire?
Does the burning ban affect gas-powered yard equipment too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
How Chino Hills compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle outdoor burning.