If you want to use a fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove, or outdoor fire pit in San Joaquin County between November 1 and the end of February, you have to Check Before You Burn in San Joaquin County each day first. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District issues a daily wood-burning declaration for the county under Rule 4901, and that declaration decides whether you can light a fire at all, whether only registered devices can run, or whether burning is simply discouraged.1San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program Yesterday’s status doesn’t carry over. Check again today.
How to Check Today’s Burn Status
Three options, all free:
- The Valley Air app shows the daily wood-burning status for your county during the Check Before You Burn season and can send you notifications when the status changes.2San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Valley Air App
- Call 1-800-SMOG-INFO for a recorded forecast by county.3San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Reporting an Air-Pollution Complaint
- Look up your zip code on the District’s program page at valleyair.org.1San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program
Make this part of your morning before you load the stove. Weather patterns shift the forecast from one day to the next, and the status can flip overnight.
What the Three Status Levels Mean
San Joaquin County is classified as a non-hot-spot county, and the daily declaration falls into one of three buckets based on forecast PM2.5.
No Burning. All solid-fuel burning is prohibited from midnight to midnight. No wood, no pellets, no manufactured logs, indoors or outdoors. This level is called when forecast PM2.5 exceeds 65 µg/m³ or PM10 reaches 135 µg/m³ or higher.1San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program
No Burning Unless Registered. Only residents who have registered an EPA-certified device with the District may burn wood indoors. Unregistered stoves, open fireplaces, and outdoor fire pits stay cold. This applies when forecast PM2.5 is between 20 and 65 µg/m³.4San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Discussion and Next Steps on Residential Woodsmoke Reduction Strategy and Report on 2025-26
Burning Discouraged. Forecast PM2.5 is below 20 µg/m³. Any wood-burning device may be used, but the District asks you to stick to clean, dry, seasoned firewood and never burn trash, magazines, or plastics.1San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program
What Actually Counts as Wood Burning
Manufactured fire logs like Duraflame count as solid fuel under Rule 4901. On a No Burning day you can’t light one any more than you can light split oak.5San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Brochure
Gas is a different story. Gas fireplaces and gas inserts that don’t burn wood or pellets are fully exempt, so if yours runs on natural gas or propane you can use it any day the status allows or doesn’t.5San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Brochure
Registering an EPA-Certified Device
Registration is what separates “I can burn today” from “I can’t” on a No Burning Unless Registered day. Without it, a certified stove is treated like any other wood burner and has to stay off.
To register, your device has to be an EPA-certified wood stove, insert, or heater, or a pellet stove or pellet insert. Open masonry fireplaces can’t be registered. The District runs registration through an online portal, and fees are set under Rule 3901.6San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Wood Burning Registrations/Exemptions
One thing to keep straight: registration doesn’t get you through a full No Burning day. It only unlocks the middle tier. On a No Burning declaration, even a registered device has to stay cold unless you qualify for a sole-source-of-heat exemption.1San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Residential Wood Smoke Reduction Program
Exemptions on No Burning Days
Two groups can burn even when burning is otherwise prohibited.
If a wood-burning device is your only available heating source, you’re exempt from the daily prohibitions. The exemption also covers temporary outages of your permanent heating system, as determined by the gas or electric utility.7San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. SJVUAPCD Rule 4901 – Wood Burning Fireplaces and Wood Burning Heaters In practice that means homes without a furnace, homes without natural gas service, and homes losing power or gas during cold weather.
Low-income residents who rely on wood heat can apply for an exemption through a formal process with the District. If you think you qualify, contact the District to confirm the requirements and apply before the season starts.
What Happens if You Burn Anyway
District inspectors watch for visible chimney smoke on restricted days. Smoke from your chimney on a No Burning day will draw a Notice of Violation, which starts the formal enforcement process under Rule 4901.8San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. District Rule 4901 – Wood-Burning Fireplaces and Wood Burning Heaters Fines go up with each repeat offense, and penalties for habitual violators climb well above the first-time amount. A single complaint from a neighbor can trigger an inspection, so the risk isn’t limited to the days inspectors happen to be in your area.
A Possible Longer Season Ahead
The District is evaluating changes to Rule 4901, including extending the Check Before You Burn season through March 31.8San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. District Rule 4901 – Wood-Burning Fireplaces and Wood Burning Heaters That would add a full month of possible restrictions beyond the current end-of-February cutoff. If March fires matter to you, watch the District’s rulemaking page for updates before next season.