Shasta County, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Shasta County draws a clear line between recreational/cooking fires and waste burning. A genuine backyard fire used only for cooking or recreation is exempt from the Air Quality Management District's open-burning rules: Rule 2:6 (Open Burning: General Provisions), subsection b.8, exempts 'open outdoor fires used only for cooking food for human beings or for recreational purposes per CH&SC 41704.' So a campfire-style backyard fire burning clean firewood does not need an AQMD burn permit or a permissive burn day. The moment a backyard fire is used to dispose of yard debris, leaves, brush, or trash, it becomes regulated 'open burning' under Rule 2:6 - that requires a valid burn permit, a permissive burn day, and compliance with the elevation-based ignition hours (9 a.m.-3 p.m. below 1,000 feet; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. above 1,000 feet), and it excludes prohibited materials like plastics, tires, treated wood, and garbage. Because the unincorporated county is largely State Responsibility Area with very high wildfire hazard, CAL FIRE/Shasta County Fire's fire-safety authority overlays all of this: during declared high fire danger, red-flag warnings, or burn suspensions, open flame can be restricted or prohibited regardless of the air-quality exemption. Responsible practice is to keep recreational fires small and contained, burn only dry firewood, maintain clearance to vegetation and structures, keep water and a shovel on hand, never leave the fire unattended, and check the daily fire-danger and burn-day status before lighting.