Fresno County Burn Days: Status, Permits, and Curtailments

A Fresno County burn day is set one day at a time by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, which posts the next day’s declaration by 4:30 PM. Before you light anything outside, or use a wood-burning fireplace between November and February, check the status for your specific zone. And know this up front: most people living on the valley floor cannot legally burn yard waste outdoors at all, because residential open burning is limited to the State Responsibility Area, which excludes most incorporated communities.

How to Check Today’s Burn Status

The district offers three ways to confirm the day’s declaration:

Phone: 1-800-SMOG-INFO (1-800-766-4463) for an automated recording of current burn status by region.
Web: the daily air quality forecast page at valleyair.org, updated by 4:30 PM.
The district’s AirStatus feed, which lists burn status for today and tomorrow along with winter wood-burning curtailment levels.

A “Burn” declaration means atmospheric conditions will disperse smoke. A “No Burn” declaration prohibits all outdoor residential burning for that day. Status can differ between the valley floor and higher-elevation zones in the same county, so confirm the zone that covers your property. The daily declarations posted by 4:30 PM specifically govern pile burning in the State Responsibility Area.¹

Wood-Burning Fireplaces and Stoves, November Through February

If you’re checking burn status because you want to use a fireplace, a separate rule applies. Under Rule 4901, the district enforces wood-burning curtailments each winter, and Fresno County sits under some of the strictest thresholds in the valley.

Level One Curtailment

A Level One is called when forecast PM2.5 reaches 12 μg/m³ but stays at or below 35 μg/m³. You cannot operate a standard wood-burning fireplace, masonry heater, or any outdoor wood-burning device. A wood-burning heater registered with the district and operated per the manufacturer’s instructions may still be used.²

Level Two Curtailment

Level Two applies when PM2.5 is forecast above 35 μg/m³ or PM10 reaches 135 μg/m³. No wood-burning device may be operated, including registered heaters, pellet stoves, and outdoor fire pits that burn solid fuel.²

Exemptions

Two narrow exemptions apply at either level. You are exempt if natural gas service is not available at your location (propane and butane do not count as natural gas), or if a wood-burning fireplace or heater is your sole source of heat, including during a temporary utility outage. Gas-fueled fireplaces and cookstoves are outside Rule 4901 entirely and may be used regardless of curtailment level.²

Where Outdoor Burning Is Actually Allowed

This is the point most searchers miss. Outdoor residential burning under Rule 4106 is only permitted in the State Responsibility Area, which does not cover most of the valley floor. If you live in the City of Fresno or another incorporated community on the valley floor, you almost certainly cannot legally burn yard waste outdoors at any time.³

Rule 4106 defines hazard reduction burning as removing flammable vegetation cleared from around buildings to reduce fire danger, consistent with the 100-foot defensible space requirement under California Public Resources Code Section 4291. The district notes that PRC 4291 does not require you to dispose of vegetation by burning. Chipping, mulching, composting, and hauling to a green waste facility are all legal alternatives.⁴

Permits You Need Before Lighting

If your property is in the State Responsibility Area, CAL FIRE shares jurisdiction with the air district. You need both a CAL FIRE residential burn permit and a district hazard reduction burn permit. The CAL FIRE residential permit covers small piles no larger than four feet by four feet, and permits issued or renewed through the CAL FIRE website expire April 30, 2026. Larger burns, including agricultural operations and pile sizes exceeding the residential limit, require a separate General Burn (LE-5) permit from CAL FIRE.⁵

Holding both permits is not enough on its own. You still have to confirm the day’s air district declaration reads “Burn” for your zone before you light. A CAL FIRE burn suspension for fire danger overrides a “Burn” declaration from the air district. Hazard reduction burn season generally runs from late fall through late spring, depending on conditions.¹

What You Can and Cannot Burn

Rule 4106 limits residential hazard reduction burning to dry vegetation cleared from around structures for fire safety: branches, leaves, and similar natural plant material. Small amounts of non-glossy paper for ignition are acceptable. The pile must stay within the four-foot-by-four-foot limit set by the CAL FIRE residential permit.⁵

Prohibited materials include household trash, plastic, tires, treated or painted lumber, petroleum waste, and demolition debris. Burning these creates toxic smoke and can trigger a criminal investigation, not just a fine.⁶

Zones Within Fresno County

The district splits Fresno County into zones by elevation and topography, and daily declarations are posted separately for each. A day that permits burning in a foothill or mountain zone can still carry a “No Burn” order on the valley floor. Confirm your zone through the district’s online tools or the automated phone line. Burning during a “No Burn” day in your zone is a violation even if a neighboring zone has permission.¹

Penalties for Burning on the Wrong Day

Civil penalties enforced by the district reach up to $5,000 per day for strict liability violations of any air quality rule. Negligent emissions raise the ceiling to $25,000 per day. Failing to take corrective action after learning of a violation pushes the maximum to $40,000 per day, and willful violations can bring up to $75,000 per day plus up to one year in county jail.⁷

Burning hazardous waste without a permit is a separate criminal offense. A conviction can carry imprisonment and fines between $5,000 and $100,000 per day. If the burning caused or was substantially likely to cause serious injury or death, the fine can reach $250,000 per day with additional prison time.⁶

Enforcement officers patrol for illegal smoke plumes and respond to complaints. Keep your permits accessible during any burn so you can produce them if an officer arrives.

A Note on Agricultural Burning

If you were searching burn day rules for a farming operation, most agricultural open burning in the San Joaquin Valley became prohibited effective January 1, 2025, following Senate Bill 705 and California Air Resources Board action. A small set of materials remains allowed where no feasible alternative exists (limited rice straw acreage, apple/pear/quince prunings and orchard removals affected by fire blight, weed abatement on ponding areas and levee banks, and diseased beehives), and all of it goes through the district’s Smoke Management System under Rule 4103 with allocation required before burning. The current framework runs through January 1, 2030.⁸⁹

1
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Daily Burn Declarations
2
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. SJVAPCD Rule 4901 – Wood Burning Fireplaces and Wood Burning Heaters
3
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Hazard Reduction Burning
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San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. SJVAPCD Rule 4106 – Prescribed Burning and Hazard Reduction Burning
5
CAL FIRE. Burn Permits
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California Legislative Information. California Code Health and Safety Code 25189.7 – Hazardous Waste Control
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San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. SJVAPCD Mutual Settlement Policy
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California Air Resources Board. San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Burning
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San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. SJVAPCD Rule 4103 – Open Burning