Berkeley Fire Pit Rules Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

The City of Berkeley adopts the California Fire Code with local amendments codified in Title 19 of the Berkeley Municipal Code. The Berkeley Fire Department enforces these provisions and has broad authority to impose additional restrictions during periods of elevated fire danger. Berkeley's fire regulations are profoundly shaped by the 1991 Oakland-Berkeley Hills firestorm, which destroyed over 3,000 homes and killed 25 people in the hills above the UC Berkeley campus. This history has made Berkeley one of the most fire-conscious municipalities in California.

Recreational fires — small fires for cooking, warmth, or ambiance — are permitted on private property in commercially manufactured, self-contained fire pits, chimineas, or masonry outdoor fireplaces equipped with a spark arrestor screen. The fire must be located at least 15 feet from any structure, fence, property line, or combustible material, including vegetation and wooden decks. Only clean, dry, seasoned firewood or manufactured fire logs may be burned. Burning of trash, treated lumber, painted wood, cardboard, yard waste, or any material that produces excessive smoke is prohibited at all times. An adult must be present and supervising the fire at all times, and a garden hose connected to a water supply or a fire extinguisher must be within immediate reach.

Properties within Berkeley's designated Hillside Fire Zone (generally the area east of the Hayward Fault and above the flatlands, including Panoramic Hill, Grizzly Peak, Claremont Hills, and the neighborhoods along Tunnel Road) are subject to additional restrictions. During red flag weather events, fire weather watches, or locally declared fire danger periods, the Berkeley Fire Department may prohibit all outdoor fires in the Hillside Fire Zone regardless of containment. Hillside properties must also maintain defensible space, clear vegetation within prescribed distances from structures, and comply with the city's Vegetation Management Plan.

All outdoor fires in Berkeley are subject to Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) regulations. During Spare the Air alerts — typically declared during winter inversions when particulate matter concentrations are high — all wood-burning fires, including fire pits and indoor fireplaces, are prohibited. Propane and natural gas fire pits are generally exempt from Spare the Air restrictions because they do not produce wood smoke particulate. Residents should check sparetheair.org or call the BAAQMD hotline before lighting any wood fire.

BBQ grills (charcoal and gas) used for cooking are generally exempt from fire pit regulations but must still be used safely, positioned away from combustible structures, and never left unattended. Berkeley's dense housing stock — with many older wood-frame homes on small lots — makes safe fire practices critical throughout the city, not only in the hillside zones.