Pleasanton, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Pleasanton, 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
- PMC § 13.08.040 (Ord. 1428, 1989; amended 2015)
- Scope
- City parks and recreation facilities only
- Permit exception
- 6 named venues, via Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Dept permit
- Penalty
- Infraction, $100-$500, misdemeanor after 3rd offense
- Related ban
- No discarding lit cigarettes or matches in parks
Summary
Pleasanton prohibits building, kindling or lighting any fire in a city park or recreation facility, including Augustin Bernal Park, except in equipment the director has set up for that purpose. A narrow exception lets six named venues host fires under a Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department permit.
A. No person shall build, kindle, or light a fire in any park and recreation facility, including the Augustin Bernal Park, except in equipment established for such purpose by the director, except such use is permissible in the following facilities if a fire permit from the Livermore-Pleasanton fire department is obtained: Amador Recreation Center, Alviso Adobe, Century House, Firehouse Arts Center, Pleasanton Senior Center, and Veterans Memorial Building. B. No person shall discard or permit unattended any lighted cigar, cigarette, match or other flammable article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4955754; v17 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
020 defines broadly to include public parks, pathways, trails, skate parks, golf courses, playgrounds, athletic fields and recreation centers the city owns, leases or controls. The only exceptions are equipment the director of library and recreation has established for fire use, or, at six specific facilities named in the section: Amador Recreation Center, Alviso Adobe, Century House, Firehouse Arts Center, Pleasanton Senior Center, and Veterans Memorial Building, where a fire permit obtained from the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department authorizes a fire. The same section separately makes it unlawful to discard or leave unattended any lit cigar, cigarette, match, or other flammable article in a park, addressing ember-based ignition risk apart from open flame.
24, Pleasanton's local fire code, adopts the state Fire Code by reference without adding a Pleasanton-specific outdoor residential fire provision. 020, enforced by city park staff and Pleasanton police.
Violations & Fines
Building or tending an unauthorized fire in a Pleasanton park is an infraction under Section 1.12.020: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third, becoming a misdemeanor on a fourth violation in 12 months. Discarding a lit cigarette or match in a park carries the same infraction penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a campfire in a Pleasanton park?
Which Pleasanton facilities allow fires with a permit?
Does Pleasanton's park fire ban cover my backyard fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pleasanton
How Pleasanton compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Pleasanton to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle outdoor burning.