Folsom, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Folsom, 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
- Fire allowed only in
- Designated picnic-area barbecue cooker
- Exemption
- Fire chief permit required
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Covers
- Parks, open space, ag-reserve land only
- Adopted
- Ord. 1248, 2015 drought emergency
Summary
Folsom bans unauthorized fire in the city's public open space, parks and agricultural-reserve land, allowing flame only in a designated picnic area's barbecue cooker under Section 9.37.030. The fire chief can grant a permit exemption, and violators face a misdemeanor of up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or a lesser infraction.
A. No person shall ignite, maintain, or use any fire in any public open space except within a designated picnic area using a barbecue cooker or other cooking device authorized by the fire chief for purpose of safe outdoor cooking. B. No person shall ignite or maintain a fire of materials deposited in any pit, trench, ditch, dugout, dirt, grassy or wooded area in any public open space... Violation of this chapter shall constitute a crime punishable either as a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both, or as an infraction in the discretion of the city attorney.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1369, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010), bans igniting or maintaining any fire in public open space except a barbecue cooker or other cooking device the fire chief authorizes inside a designated picnic area. 020(D) defines "public open space" as land the city's general plan or zoning code designates "open space," "open space conservation," "agricultural reserve," or "parks," so the ban does not reach private residential lots. 030(B) and (C) separately bar burning materials in any pit, trench, ditch or wooded area, and burning trash in any can, box or receptacle, within that same public open space.
040 lets the fire chief exempt permitted fire activities, though a permit does not excuse compliance with other air-quality or nuisance laws. 035, added in 2025, lets the fire chief close and post any area where dense growth, difficult terrain, or public accessibility creates "exceptional and continuing fire danger," and entering a posted closed area is itself prohibited. 060.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail, or, at the city attorney's discretion, a lesser infraction (Section 9.37.070(A)). Penalties are cumulative with any other city or state remedy, including nuisance abatement, and entering a fire-danger area the fire chief has closed and posted under Section 9.37.035 is a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I light a campfire in a Folsom park?
Does this open-fire ban apply to my backyard?
What happens if I'm caught with an illegal fire?
Can the city close off an entire area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Folsom
How Folsom compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Folsom to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle outdoor burning.