Irvine, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Irvine, 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
- Governing section
- Irvine Municipal Code § 5-9-409(B)(b) (CFC § 305.6)
- Lower threshold ban
- winds >8 mph + humidity <25%, or red flag
- Absolute ban
- winds exceeding 20 mph, any fuel
- Rubbish burning
- approved incinerator only, § 305.7
- Enforcing agency
- Orange County Fire Authority
- Effective
- November 12, 2025 (Ord. No. 25-26)
Summary
Irvine bans outdoor wood and solid-fuel fires whenever sustained winds top 8 mph with humidity under 25%, a red flag warning is declared, or the fire code official posts a burn restriction. All outdoor fires, regardless of fuel, are barred once sustained winds exceed 20 mph, under a Fire Code amendment enforced by the Orange County Fire Authority.
305.6 Hazardous conditions. Outdoor fires burning wood or other solid fuel are not allowed when any of the following conditions applies: 1.When predicted sustained winds exceed 8 MPH and relative humidity is less than 25%, or a red flag condition has been declared. 2.When an official sign was caused to be posted by the fire code official, or a public announcement is made. No outdoor fires using any fuel type are permitted when predicted sustained winds exceed 20 MPH or when such fires present a hazard as determined by the fire code official.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 | Zoning: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code Section 5-9-409(B)(b), adopted by Ordinance No. 6 to the locally amended California Fire Code. The added section, titled 'Hazardous conditions,' provides that outdoor fires burning wood or other solid fuel 'are not allowed when any of the following conditions applies: 1. When predicted sustained winds exceed 8 MPH and relative humidity is less than 25%, or a red flag condition has been declared. 2. 7 requires that any rubbish, trash, or combustible waste be burned only in an approved incinerator. The rule sits inside Chapter 3 of the Fire Code, which OCFA enforces as the fire code official with jurisdiction in Irvine under Section 5-9-301(B); OCFA issues red-flag declarations and posted burn restrictions that trigger the lower 8-mph threshold, while the 20-mph cap applies automatically without any separate declaration.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the outdoor-burning restriction are enforced under Section 5-9-305, which authorizes penalties under OCFA's Prevention Field Services fee schedule for each day a violation continues after notice. Section 113.4.2 separately makes it a misdemeanor to fail to abate a fire hazard when ordered to do so by the OCFA fire chief or a designated representative, and an infraction to allow the hazard to exist in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are outdoor wood fires banned in Irvine?
Is there an absolute wind limit on outdoor fires regardless of conditions?
Can I burn yard waste or trash outdoors in Irvine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Irvine
How Irvine compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Irvine to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle outdoor burning.