Fontana, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Fontana, 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
- Burning hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. only
- Wind limit
- Stop burning above 10 mph wind
- Permit
- Written permit from Fire Protection District required
- Attendance
- Competent person must stay until extinguished
- Garbage burning
- Banned outside approved sanitary incinerator
Summary
Fontana bans burning weeds, brush, tree trimmings or other yard debris outdoors except in an approved incinerator or under a written open-burning permit from the Fontana Fire Protection District. Permitted burning is confined to 6 a.m.-11 a.m., a competent attendant must stay with the fire, and burning stops the moment wind exceeds ten miles per hour.
Sec. 11-131. - General restrictions. No person shall ignite, set fire to or burn any weeds, yard waste, tumbleweeds, tree trimmings, grass, brush or other similar organic combustible materials except as follows: (1)In an approved type incinerator. (2)In an open fire authorized by written permit from the Fontana Fire Protection District. A competent person shall be in constant attendance at such burning until the fire is extinguished. ... Sec. 11-132. - Hours regulated. (a)All burning regulated under section 11-131 shall be done between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. ... Sec. 11-133. - Burning prohibited in heavy wind. No burning pursuant to this chapter shall be conducted whenever a wind of over ten miles per hour is blowing from any direction.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 17).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 11-131 sets the baseline: 'No person shall ignite, set fire to or burn any weeds, yard waste, tumbleweeds, tree trimmings, grass, brush or other similar organic combustible materials except as follows: (1) In an approved type incinerator. ' The same section requires that 'a competent person shall be in constant attendance at such burning until the fire is extinguished,' so no unattended debris fires are allowed even with a permit. Sec. 11-132(a) narrows the window further: burning regulated under Sec. ' only, a five-hour daily allowance.
Weather can shut burning down entirely: Sec. 11-133 states no burning 'shall be conducted whenever a wind of over ten miles per hour is blowing from any direction,' regardless of time or permit status. Separately, Sec. 11-134 makes it 'unlawful to burn garbage within the city' outside of an approved gas-fired sanitary incinerator inside a building with a stack tall enough to control odors, closing off backyard burn barrels as a garbage-disposal option. The Fontana Fire Protection District issues the written open-fire permits referenced in Sec. 11-131(2) and can revoke incinerator location approval if a burn becomes a nuisance or fire hazard, consistent with its authority under Sec. 11-82.
Violations & Fines
Burning debris without an incinerator or written Fire Protection District permit violates Sec. 11-131. Burning outside the 6 a.m.-11 a.m. window breaches Sec. 11-132(a); continuing a burn once wind tops ten miles per hour violates Sec. 11-133. Leaving a permitted fire unattended or burning garbage outside an approved incinerator under Sec. 11-134 is separately unlawful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a backyard bonfire in Fontana?
Is burning tree trimmings or brush allowed without a permit?
What happens if it's windy during a permitted burn?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fontana
How Fontana compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Fontana 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.