Pasadena, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Pasadena Municipal Code Section 14.28.050 amends Section 307.4.3 of the International Fire Code to require that any portable outdoor fireplace be used according to the manufacturer's instructions and never operated within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material. The provision reaches chimineas, fire pits, and similar manufactured open-flame appliances used for backyard cooking or ambiance.

The section carries two carve-outs. First, portable outdoor fireplaces used at one- and two-family dwellings are exempt from the 15-foot standard entirely, so most single-family backyard fire pits and chimineas fall outside the clearance rule. Second, the fire code official may approve portable fireplaces for Fire Department-staffed special events under whatever parameters the official sets for that event. That leaves the mandatory clearance targeting multifamily buildings, commercial properties, and unstaffed public gatherings, where the risk of fire spread to adjoining units or crowds is higher.

The chapter took effect November 10, 2025, under Ordinance No. 7461, which repealed and replaced the entire prior Chapter 14.28 fire code adoption. Pasadena adopted the 2025 California Fire Code and portions of the 2024 International Fire Code as its base text, then layered in local amendments like Section 14.28.050. Enforcement runs through the fire code official, a Pasadena Fire Department inspector, who can order a device relocated or extinguished if it violates the clearance standard during an inspection or complaint response.