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

There is no standalone 'backyard fire' ordinance in Colusa County; recreational and open fires are governed by the same overlapping rules as other outdoor burning. The Colusa County Air Pollution Control District allows burning only on declared permissive burn days, and residents must confirm the burn-day status before lighting any open fire (APCD: 530-458-0581). In the State Responsibility Areas that cover most of the unincorporated county, CAL FIRE's Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit requires a residential burn permit (free at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov, valid from May 1) and suspends all residential burning during high fire danger. The County Code adds a seasonal restriction: under Sec. 7-8, smoking and carrying burning or glowing substances is prohibited 'in grain, grass, stubble, brush, timber or other inflammable vegetative cover' between May 1 and November 1, except in cleared or barren areas at least three feet across — a useful guide for siting any recreational fire. Best practice for a legal recreational fire is to use clean, dry firewood, keep the fire small and contained, clear vegetation well back, keep water or a shovel on hand, and never leave it unattended. During red-flag warnings or a CAL FIRE suspension, even contained fires may be banned.