Fountain Valley, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Section 6.08.170 of the Fountain Valley Municipal Code, titled Burning prohibited, is one sentence long: no person shall burn refuse. It sits in Chapter 6.08, the solid waste chapter, next to Section 6.08.160, which says no person shall bury refuse. Together they close the two informal ways to dispose of trash on your own property in the City of Fountain Valley. Refuse has to go into the city's collection carts and bins, not into a burn barrel, a backyard pile or a hole in the ground. The section has no exceptions, no permit path and no fee, so there is nothing to apply for.

This provision is the city's own burning rule in the solid waste chapter. It does not create a general burn ban or burn ban authority, and it should not be read as a rule on every kind of fire. Recreational fires are handled elsewhere: Section 17.04.020 amends California Fire Code Section 307.6 for outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire rings and similar devices used at Group R occupancies, with an exception for barbeques, grills and other portable devices intended solely for cooking. Section 17.04.040 amends Section 308.1.6.3 to say a person shall not ignite, release or cause to be released a sky lantern. Fountain Valley has its own Fire Department, and Title 17 violations are misdemeanors under Section 17.02.040 with each day after due notice a separate offense.

Waste handling rules that replace burning are in the same chapter. Section 6.08.130 caps accumulation of solid waste at one calendar week and refuse or cuttings at fifteen days, and Section 6.08.110 tells residents which container each material goes in.