Burbank Burn Bans Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

SCAQMD Rule 445, adopted in 2008 and amended in 2013, restricts the use of wood-burning devices in the South Coast Air Basin — the regulatory district that encompasses all of Burbank — to reduce fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions. On days when SCAQMD declares a mandatory Curtailment Day (no-burn day), it is a violation to burn wood, manufactured fire logs, or any solid fuel in any fireplace, wood stove, fire pit, chiminea, or outdoor fireplace. SCAQMD issues no-burn days primarily during the winter wood-burning season (approximately November through February) when stagnant air and poor dispersion conditions cause wood smoke to accumulate. No-burn days are announced the day before and can be checked at aqmd.gov or by calling the SCAQMD burn day hotline.

Separately from no-burn days, SCAQMD Rule 445 permanently prohibits open burning — burning leaves, branches, brush, and other vegetative debris in the open air — throughout the urbanized South Coast Air Basin, which includes Burbank. This prohibition applies year-round regardless of air quality conditions. Burbank's fire code, which adopts the California Fire Code with local amendments, further restricts open burning in areas designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ), which include portions of the Verdugo Mountains and surrounding hillside neighborhoods. In VHFHSZ areas, additional seasonal prohibitions on any open flame outdoors may be imposed by the Burbank Fire Department, particularly during Red Flag Warning conditions declared by the National Weather Service.