Palm Desert, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Palm Desert, 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
- Permit issuer
- The city fire department or its authorized representative
- Banned burn days
- Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Government Code holidays
- Exempt items
- Candles, matches, lighters, barbecue coals, cigarettes
- Scope
- Any material, structure, matter or thing on property
- Sky lanterns
- Release prohibited under amended Fire Code § 308.1.7
- General penalty
- Fine up to $1,000 or six months (§ 1.12.010)
Summary
In the City of Palm Desert, California, intentional outdoor burning of any material needs a permit from the city fire department, and no burning is authorized on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Government Code holidays. Palm Desert Municipal Code § 8.70.160 exempts candles, matches, lighters, barbecue coals and cigarettes.
§ 8.70.160. Outdoor burnings. With the exception of candles, matches, lighters, barbecue coals, cigarettes and other lawful and traditional incendiary devices, the intentional outdoor burning of any material, structure, matter or thing, on property must be authorized by the city fire department or its authorized representative by issuance of a permit to do so. There shall be no authorized burning on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Government Code holidays.
Full Breakdown
Section 8.70.160 is the city's open burning rule, found in the property maintenance chapter. With the exception of candles, matches, lighters, barbecue coals, cigarettes and other lawful and traditional incendiary devices, the intentional outdoor burning of any material, structure, matter or thing on property must be authorized by the city fire department or its authorized representative by issuance of a permit. The rule is not limited to yard waste: it covers material, structures and any other matter or thing. The permit calendar is fixed in the same sentence structure. There shall be no authorized burning on Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Government Code holidays, so a permit holder has Monday through Thursday only, and holidays drop out of that window.
The same prohibition appears a second time in § 8.20.020(O), the public nuisance list, which makes intentional outdoor burning unlawful and a public nuisance unless authorized by the city fire department or authorized representative by permit. That means burning without a permit can be handled through the Chapter 8.20 abatement process as well as through criminal prosecution. Section 8.70.010 adds that violations of the property maintenance chapter are a public nuisance. A separate fire code amendment in Chapter 15.26 replaces California Fire Code Section 308.1.7 with a flat rule that a person shall not release or cause to be released a sky lantern or similar device. Chapter 15.26 also names the Fire Chief of Riverside County as the fire chief for the City of Palm Desert.
Violations & Fines
Burning without the fire department's permit, or on a prohibited day, is a nuisance under § 8.20.020(O). The general penalty in § 1.12.010 is a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding six months, normally prosecuted as an infraction, and each day is a separate offense under § 1.12.040. The appeals hearing board can add administrative penalties up to two thousand five hundred dollars per day under § 8.80.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to burn in the City of Palm Desert?
On which days can a burn permit be used?
Are barbecue coals covered by the permit rule?
Can I release a sky lantern?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Desert
How Palm Desert compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Palm Desert to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle outdoor burning.