Pasadena, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Pasadena, 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
- Pasadena Municipal Code Section 8.48.120
- Rule
- No burning to clear weeds or rubbish
- Firebreak alternative
- Requires city manager and fire chief approval
- Firebreak distance from buildings
- 25 feet minimum
- Firebreak distance from trees/vegetation
- 10 feet minimum
- Enforcement
- Fire chief
Summary
Pasadena bans burning weeds or rubbish to clear a property, public or private, under Section 8.48.120 of the weed abatement ordinance. The only alternative to hand or machine clearing is a fire-department-approved firebreak kept 25 feet from buildings and 10 feet from trees and shrubs, enforced by the fire chief.
A.No person shall remove or clean weeds, rubbish or other material from any property, private or public, in the city by setting fire to, igniting or burning such weeds, rubbish or other material.B.In those cases where the lots are so situated or where the circumstances are such that it is impracticable to clear the same by hand or machinery, subject to the approval of the city manager or designee and the chief of the fire department or their respective authorized representatives, the provisions of this chapter relating to the removal of weeds, rubbish or other material shall be deemed complied with if a firebreak is cleared of all vegetation, stubble, chaff and inflammable material for a distance not less than 25 feet from any building or structure and for a distance of not less than 10 feet from the outer circumference of any tree, shrub, hedge or vegetation, or from any street, highway, way, road or sidewalk.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
A flatly bars setting fire to, igniting or burning weeds, rubbish or other material as a way to clean or clear property in Pasadena, whether the land is private or public. The chapter doesn't offer burning as a compliance option even where a lot is hard to clear; instead, subsection B lets an owner substitute a firebreak when hand or machine clearing is impractical, but only with the approval of the city manager or a designee and the fire chief. The approved firebreak must be cleared of all vegetation, stubble, chaff and flammable material for at least 25 feet from any building or structure, and at least 10 feet from the outer edge of any tree, shrub, hedge or other vegetation, or from any street, highway, road or sidewalk.
The fire chief can require additional firebreaks beyond those minimums when necessary to protect property and stop a fire from spreading. 48 otherwise requires, its cost is calculated on the same hourly labor and equipment rates the city council approves for city abatement work, and that cost is assessed against the property just as a standard weed abatement bill would be. 48.
Violations & Fines
Burning weeds or rubbish to clear a Pasadena property, instead of clearing it by hand, machine, or an approved firebreak, violates Section 8.48.120.A regardless of whether the fire escapes the property; the fire chief enforces the section directly. Clearing land with an unapproved firebreak, one the city manager or designee and the fire chief did not sign off on, also fails to satisfy the chapter's requirements and leaves the underlying weed abatement obligation, and its potential city-billed cost, still in force.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn weeds to clear my Pasadena property?
What's the alternative to hand-clearing an overgrown Pasadena lot?
Who enforces Pasadena's outdoor burning ban for weed clearing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
How Pasadena compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena 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.