San Clemente, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in San Clemente, 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
- Wind/humidity trigger
- 8 mph wind + under 25% humidity or red flag
- Absolute cutoff
- 20 mph sustained wind, any fuel
- Park fire ring max size
- 3 feet by 2 feet
- Enforced by
- OCFA, OC Sheriff, City Rangers
- Banned zones
- ROW, city land, canyon/bluff parcels
Summary
Outdoor fires burning wood or solid fuel are barred citywide once sustained winds exceed 8 mph with humidity under 25%, a red flag is declared, or OCFA posts a ban notice, and every outdoor fire of any fuel type stops once sustained winds top 20 mph. Fires are also banned outright on city property, rights-of-way, and canyon or coastal-bluff zoned land.
305.6 Hazardous conditions. ... Outdoor fires burning wood or other solid fuel are not allowed when any of the following conditions applies: 1.when predicted sustained winds exceed 8 MPH and relative humidity is less than 25%, or a red flag condition has been declared ... No outdoor fires using any fuel type are permitted when predicted sustained winds exceed 20 MPH or when such fires present a hazard as determined by the fire code official. ... A.Except as provided in subsection B, authorized in the San Clemente Municipal Code, or permitted by the City or the Orange County Fire Authority, no person shall kindle, build, light, or maintain a fire in:1.The public right-of-way;2.Property owned or managed by the City;3.Property that is zoned or designated by the City as "Open Space," "Public," "Civic Center" or "Institutional;" or4.Vacant or unimproved portions of property that are zoned or designated by the City as "Inland Canyon," "Coastal Canyon" or "Coastal Bluff."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
050. 6 halts wood-fuel outdoor fires whenever sustained winds exceed 8 mph with relative humidity under 25 percent, a red-flag condition is declared, or OCFA posts a sign or announcement, and it halts every outdoor fire regardless of fuel once sustained winds exceed 20 mph or the fire code official deems conditions hazardous. 7 separately bars kindling, building, lighting, or maintaining any fire in the public right-of-way, on City-owned or managed property, on land zoned Open Space, Public, Civic Center or Institutional, or on vacant Inland Canyon, Coastal Canyon, or Coastal Bluff parcels.
6. 6 separately governs permanent fireplaces and fire pits at residential occupancies: gas-fueled devices need Building Department approval with 3-foot clearance at R-3 occupancies and 10-foot clearance at other R occupancies, while wood-burning devices must stay 25 feet from combustible structures unless inside an approved permanent fireplace. 1.
Violations & Fines
Violating the fire code subjects a person to penalties set by the OCFA Prevention Field Services fee schedule under Section 112.4, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. Permitting a fire or life-safety hazard to exist is an infraction; failing to immediately abate a fire hazard when ordered by the fire chief or an authorized representative is a misdemeanor under Section 112.4.2. Enforcement Personnel, meaning OCFA, the Orange County Sheriff's Department, and City Marine Safety, Code Compliance, and Park Ranger staff, may order any illegal fire extinguished on the spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a campfire on the beach in San Clemente?
When does San Clemente halt all outdoor burning?
Who enforces San Clemente's burn rules?
What happens if I refuse to put out an illegal fire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
How San Clemente compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle outdoor burning.