Truckee, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Truckee, 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
- Consent rule
- Written landowner permission required unless in a designated campground
- Size/safety standard
- No unreasonably large or uncontainable campfires (TMC 9.15.030)
- Extinguishment
- Coals and embers fully out before leaving it unattended
- Fireworks
- Separately banned without a Truckee Fire Protection District permit
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Truckee requires written permission from the landowner before anyone lights a campfire on land they do not own, bans campfires that are unreasonably large or cannot be safely contained, and requires every campfire to be fully extinguished, coals and all, before it is left unattended. TMC Chapter 9.15 governs open outdoor fires Town-wide.
No person who is not the owner or lessee of land shall ignite or maintain a campfire or cause a campfire to be lit on that land without the written permission of the owner, lessee, or agent of the owner or lessee of the land. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no written permission shall be required for campfires lit or maintained in officially designated campgrounds provided such campfires are in compliance with all applicable campground rules. ... No campfire shall be maintained or allowed to exist which is unreasonably large, causes a hazard to the surrounding area, or is constructed in such a fashion that the fire cannot be reasonably and safely contained. ... Every campfire shall be completely extinguished, including extinguishment of all coals and embers, before the campfire is left unattended.
Full Breakdown
15, Fireworks and Outdoor Fires, adopted by Ordinance 2015-05, defines a "campfire" as an outdoor fire used for cooking, personal warmth, or ceremonial or aesthetic purposes, including a portable barbecue pit, but not a portable lantern or a commercially manufactured stove. 020 requires anyone who is not the land's owner or lessee to get written permission from the owner, lessee or their agent before igniting or maintaining a campfire there; that written-permission requirement is waived for campfires lit in officially designated campgrounds that follow the campground's own rules.
030 separately bans any campfire that is unreasonably large, that creates a hazard to the surrounding area, or that is built in a way that it cannot be reasonably and safely contained, regardless of whether the person lighting it owns the land. 040 requires the person responsible for a campfire to watch it constantly, keep the means to control and contain it on hand, and completely extinguish it, including all coals and embers, before walking away. 050, separately bans using, discharging or possessing any fireworks in Town limits without a valid permit from the Truckee Fire Protection District, a distinct permitting scheme from the open-fire rules.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Chapter 9.15, including lighting a campfire without the landowner's consent, letting one grow unreasonably large or uncontained, or leaving one unextinguished, is a misdemeanor under TMC 9.15.060, carrying up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in County jail under the Code's general penalty chapter, TMC 1.02.040(a).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need permission to build a campfire in Truckee?
How big can a campfire legally be?
Do I have to fully put out a campfire before leaving?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Truckee
How Truckee compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Truckee to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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