Petaluma, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Petaluma, 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
- Garbage burning
- Banned citywide except indoor stoves
- Garbage burial
- Banned citywide (§8.16.140)
- Rubbish burial
- Specifically prohibited (§8.16.150)
- Garbage grinders
- Permitted, waste discharged via sewer
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 or 6 months
Summary
Petaluma prohibits burning or burying garbage anywhere within city limits under PMC § 8.16.140. The only carve-out is combustible garbage burned indoors in a stove built for that purpose, and only to the extent other laws still allow it; a garbage grinder that discharges through the sewer is separately permitted.
No person shall burn or bury garbage within the city, except that combustible garbage may be disposed of by burning inside of buildings in stoves for that purpose to the extent now or hereafter permitted by laws, ordinances or regulations. Nothing herein contained shall prevent or prohibit the disposition of garbage by means of domestic garbage grinders or dispensers located in residences whereby the garbage is ground up by a mechanism connected with the plumbing system, where the garbage is rendered into a condition to permit the discharge, and which is discharged through waste drains as sewage.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
140, titled "Disposition by means other than collection," bars any person from burning or burying garbage within the city, with a narrow exception allowing combustible garbage to be burned inside buildings in stoves built for that purpose, and only to the extent still permitted by other laws, ordinances, or regulations; the section separately confirms that using a domestic garbage grinder connected to the plumbing, which discharges ground-up waste through the sewer as sewage, is not prohibited. 150 specifically prohibits burying rubbish within the city limits, but does not itself ban burning rubbish or composting it, so long as that activity remains permitted by other laws, ordinances or regulations of the city, meaning open burning of yard debris can still run into fire-safety and Bay Area Air Quality Management District restrictions outside this chapter.
16 does not create its own separate air-quality or fire-code standard; it governs disposal method, not fire-safety permitting, so any outdoor burn also remains subject to state and regional air-district rules that this chapter does not displace. 110.
Violations & Fines
Burning or burying garbage in violation of § 8.16.140, or burying rubbish in violation of § 8.16.150, is punishable as a misdemeanor under PMC § 8.16.110: a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment in the county jail for up to six months, or both, enforced through the city's Chapter 1.10 through 1.15 code enforcement procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn kitchen garbage in a backyard fire pit in Petaluma?
Is it legal to bury yard rubbish on my own property?
What counts as garbage versus rubbish under Petaluma's code?
What is the penalty for illegally burning garbage in Petaluma?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
How Petaluma compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle outdoor burning.