Long Beach, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Long Beach, 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 scope
- All open burning, citywide, with 3 narrow exceptions
- Governing section
- LBMC § 18.48.240 (CFC § 307.1.1, amended)
- Permit path
- Fire Code Official may issue a specific-purpose permit
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor; each day a separate offense (§18.48.200)
- Cost recovery
- Firefighting costs lienable against property (§18.48.220)
Summary
Long Beach Fire Code Section 18.48.240 bans open burning citywide except under three narrow circumstances: official fire-suppression training by a Public Safety Officer, industrial or institutional employee firefighting instruction, or a permit issued by the Fire Code Official for a specific purpose.
18.48.240 - CFC Chapter 3, Section 307.1.1-Prohibited open burning. Section 307.1.1 of Chapter 3 of the California Fire Code is amended to read as follows: 307.1.1 Prohibited open burning. Open burning shall be conducted in accordance with Section 307 and as required by other governing agencies regulating emissions. No person shall conduct open burning for any purposes except: 1. When such fire is set or permission for such fire is given in the performance of the official duty of any Public Safety Officer, and the fire in the opinion of such officer is necessary for the purpose of the prevention of a fire hazard which cannot be abated by any other means or for the purpose of the instruction of public employees in the methods of fighting fire. 2. When such fire is set on property used for industrial or institutional purposes to instruct employees in methods of fighting fire. 3. The Fire Code Official has issued an open burning permit allowing open burning for a specific purpose.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
1 to prohibit open burning throughout Long Beach, layering a near-total local ban on top of the state model code's general open-burning rule. Open burning must otherwise comply with Section 307 and with any other governing agency regulating emissions -- a reference to regional air-quality burn restrictions. No person may conduct open burning except in three defined situations: when a fire is set, or permission for one given, in the official duty of a Public Safety Officer who determines it necessary to prevent a fire hazard that cannot be abated another way, or to instruct public employees in firefighting methods; when a fire is set on industrial or institutional property to instruct employees in firefighting methods; or when the Fire Code Official has issued an open-burning permit for a specific purpose.
220, which makes anyone who willfully, negligently or unlawfully sets or allows a fire to escape control liable for the City's firefighting and investigation costs, collectible as a debt and lienable against the property. Long Beach amended this chapter in full through Ordinance ORD-25-0019 in 2025, continuing language first adopted by ORD-22-0033 in 2022.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 18.48.240's open-burning ban is a misdemeanor under Section 18.48.200, the Fire Code's general violation-penalties clause, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. Anyone who willfully, negligently or unlawfully sets or allows a fire to escape control is also liable for the City's firefighting, investigation and hazardous-materials response costs under Section 18.48.220's cost-recovery provision, collectible as a debt or lien against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn yard waste or trash in my Long Beach backyard?
Is there any way to get permission for an open fire?
What happens if I get caught illegally burning in Long Beach?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
How Long Beach compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle outdoor burning.