ARTICLE 6. Violations [4165. - 4170.5.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 6.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 4165. Section 4165.

Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who, at a forest fire, does any of the following: (a) Disobeys the lawful orders of a public officer or firefighter. (b) Offers resistance to, or interference with, the lawful efforts of a firefighter or company of firefighters to extinguish the fire. (c) Engages in any disorderly conduct which is calculated to prevent the fire from being extinguished. (d) Forbids, prevents, or dissuades others from assisting to extinguish the fire. (e) Rides, drives, or propels any vehicle or conveyance upon, over, or across any firehose or chemical hose that is used by, or in charge of, a public officer or firefighter or injures or damages in any manner any hose or apparatus of any kind that is in use by, or in charge of, a public officer or firefighter.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 4166. Section 4166.

A person who violates this article is guilty of a misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). If the defendant refuses, on conviction, to pay the fine, the defendant shall be confined in the county jail of the county in which conviction is had for a period not to exceed one day for every five dollars ($5) of the fine imposed, or may be subject to both the fine and imprisonment.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 4170. Section 4170.

Any uncontrolled fire burning on any lands covered wholly or in part by timber, brush, grass, grain or any other flammable material, without proper precaution being taken to prevent its spread notwithstanding the origin of such fire, is a public nuisance by reason of its menace to life and property.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 4170.5. Section 4170.5.

The department or any other duly established fire protection agency may summarily abate an uncontrolled fire as a public nuisance by controlling and extinguishing the fire.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026