Santa Maria, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

Santa Barbara County treats two backyard fire activities very differently. (1) Recreational fires using clean firewood for warmth, cooking, or ceremony are exempt from permits when they meet 2022 CFC § 307.4.2 limits (3-foot diameter, 2-foot height, 25-foot setback from structures) — adopted by SB County Code § 15-3. (2) 'Residential Dry Vegetation Burning' (true backyard yard-waste burning) is a permitted activity under Chapter 15 fee schedule item 105.5.34.2 ($99 permit) and is allowed only by single-family or two-family home occupants in the Northern Zone of Santa Barbara County, expressly excluding Solvang, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. Permittees may burn only adequately dried 'leaves, weeds, grass clippings, shrubbery and tree prunings'; no rubbish, plastic, treated lumber, painted material, tires, or trash. Burning is restricted to permissive burn days in February, May, August, and November, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (fire dead-out by 4:00 p.m.). Pile size cannot exceed 6 feet diameter and 4 feet tall. Drying times required: 6 weeks for trees and large branches, 3 weeks for prunings and small branches, 10 days for field-crop wastes. Each burn must be attended by at least one competent adult, contained within cleared fire breaks, and have at least one 4-A-rated fire extinguisher or equivalent extinguishment equipment on site. The permittee must notify the local fire station the day of the burn before starting. No burning is allowed on Sundays or legal holidays. The South Coast urbanized area (Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito) does not allow backyard yard-waste burning at all.