Burn permits and fire pits in Piedmont, California
Burning brush or yard waste is effectively prohibited in Piedmont: the Bay Area Air District bans open fires except for listed categories, which are agricultural, fire-agency or hazard-reduction fires, not routine yard cleanup. A backyard recreational fire using only clean dry wood is exempt from the ban, except on Mandatory Burn Ban (Spare the Air) days, and cooking fires are exempt.
| Open burning | Prohibited unless an exemption applies [1] |
| Recreational fires / fire pits | Exempt from the open-burning ban [2] |
| Recreational fire fuel | Clean dry wood and fire starter only [3] |
| Mandatory Burn Ban days | No recreational fires [4] |
| Cooking fires | Exempt [5] |
| Wildland Urban Interface | Entire city [8] |
Piedmont's code
Piedmont's city code doesn't have its own burn-permit or fire-pit section. The city adopts the 2025 California Fire Code, which the Fire Department's Bureau of Fire Prevention enforces [7], and has designated the entire city as Wildland Urban Interface because of its topography and fuel loads [8]. The Fire Chief may abate any fire hazard and charge the cost to the property owner. Piedmont's local fire code amendments ban fireworks citywide.
Bay Area Air District rules (Regulation 5)
Piedmont is in the Bay Area Air District, whose open-burning rule (amended October 1, 2025) is the main limit:
- General ban: no one may ignite or maintain any fire within the District except as the regulation allows [1].
- Brush and yard waste: the allowed categories are agricultural, range and forest management, fire training, and similar fires. A narrow exception covers burning more than 5 cubic yards of native vegetation cleared under a fire official's defensible-space order, only where chipping, composting and hauling aren't feasible [6]. That rarely fits a city lot, so plan on green-waste pickup or chipping.
- Recreational fires: fire pits, campfires and similar recreational fires are exempt from the general ban [2] if only clean dry wood and fire starter are used and the fire isn't part of a business [3].
- Burn ban days: no recreational fires during Mandatory Burn Ban periods declared under Regulation 6, Rule 3 [4].
- Cooking: fires set only for cooking food are exempt [5].
Burning trash or other waste isn't an allowed category under Regulation 5.
Practical limits
The sources we reviewed don't set fire-pit distances from structures in Piedmont's local code; those come from the California Fire Code the city adopts, so ask the Fire Department before installing a fire pit or outdoor fireplace.
See how Piedmont compares with 8+ other California towns on burn permits & backyard fires →
Next steps
- Before any backyard fire, check whether a Mandatory Burn Ban (Spare the Air alert) is in effect.
- Burn only clean, dry firewood in a fire pit; never burn yard waste, trash or treated wood.
- Dispose of brush through green-waste collection or chipping rather than burning.
- Ask the Piedmont Fire Department about placement rules before installing a fire pit or outdoor fireplace.
Common questions
- Can I burn yard waste or brush in Piedmont, California?
- Effectively no. The Bay Area Air District bans open fires except for listed categories, which are agricultural, fire-agency or hazard-reduction fires, not routine yard cleanup.
- Can I have a backyard fire pit in Piedmont, California?
- A backyard recreational fire using only clean dry wood is exempt from the ban, except on Mandatory Burn Ban (Spare the Air) days.
- Are cooking fires allowed in Piedmont, California?
- Yes. Cooking fires are exempt from the open-burning ban.
California rules on outdoor burning and fire pits
Outdoor burning is controlled mainly by your regional air district and CAL FIRE or your local fire agency, and city codes add more limits.
Statewide rules:
- No trash burning: since January 1, 2004, a California Air Resources Board rule has banned burning household garbage outdoors at homes, and burn barrels can't be used, even for vegetation. Dry vegetation grown on the property may be burned in open piles unless local rules prohibit it, on days the air district allows.
- Fire permits in wildland areas: in state responsibility areas and other areas CAL FIRE protects, burning brush or other vegetation needs a written permit during fire season, and at any time in some zones (Pub. Res. Code §4423).
- Cooking and recreational fires are not covered by the state open-burning ban (Health & Safety Code §41806). Air districts can still restrict them.
Examples of air district rules (check yours):
- Bay Area Air District: open burning is prohibited unless a specific exemption applies (Regulation 5). Recreational fires are allowed except during a Mandatory Burn Ban. During a Spare the Air Alert, it's illegal to burn wood in fireplaces, wood stoves or outdoor fire pits (Regulation 6, Rule 3).
- South Coast AQMD: residential burning (burning a home's combustible waste on site) is banned (Rule 444). From November through February, declared No-Burn days bar indoor and outdoor wood-burning devices, including fire pits and chimineas (Rule 445), with some exemptions.
Other districts have their own burn-day systems; check yours and your city fire code.
What the ordinance says
- BAAQMD Reg. 5-301.1 Prohibition of Fires, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 6
301.1 A person shall not ignite, cause to be ignited, permit to be ignited, or suffer, allow, or maintain any fires within the District.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5-112 Limited Exemption, Recreational Fires, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 3
5-112 Limited Exemption, Recreational Fires: A fire set for recreational purposes is exempt from the requirements of Section 301.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5-223 Recreational Fires (definition), BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 6
5-223 Recreational Fires: A fire used for social, cultural or other activities including, but not limited to, campfires, bonfires, ceremonial fires, handwarming fires, raku or pit pottery curing fires, or fires conducted as part of an unusual event such as fire walking provided only clean dry wood and fire starter is used, and the activity is not part of a business for gainful occupation.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5-302 Mandatory Burn Ban for Recreational Fires, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 6
5-302 Mandatory Burn Ban for Recreational Fires: No person shall ignite, cause to be ignited, permit to be ignited, or suffer, allow, or maintain any recreational fires during Mandatory Burn Ban periods, as defined in Regulation 6, Rule 3: Wood-Burning Devices, Section 6-3-301.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5-110.1 Exemptions, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 3
110.1 Fires set only for cooking of food for human beings.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5-401.6.3 Public Resources Code Section 4291 fires, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 8
6.3 Public Resources Code Section 4291 fires: Hazardous Material fires conducted to dispose of materials generated to comply with an order or notice issued by a fire official pursuant to Section 4291 of the State Public Resources Code are permitted.
- Sec. 8.14.010(A) Bureau of fire prevention, City Code Chapter 8 Building, Construction and Fire Prevention (effective 2026-01-01), p. 49
The Bureau of Fire Prevention will enforce the California Fire Code.
- Sec. 8.14.030 Designation of Wildland Urban Interface, City Code Chapter 8 Building, Construction and Fire Prevention (effective 2026-01-01), p. 49
Therefore, the City Council hereby designates the entirety of the City of Piedmont, as Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).