Fire pit rules in Butte County, CA — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Outdoor residential burning in unincorporated Butte County is regulated jointly by CAL FIRE / Butte County Fire (Chapter 38A) and the Butte County Air Quality Management District (BCAQMD). All outdoor burning requires a burn permit during declared fire season and is only allowed on "permissive burn days" declared by BCAQMD.
Per BCAQMD rules, permitted burn hours are 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. from May 1 through October 31, and 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from November 1 through April 30. Only natural vegetation grown on the property may be burned — it is illegal to burn garbage, paper, cardboard, dimensional lumber, tires, construction materials, plastic, rubber, paint, bedding or furniture. Burners must call 530-332-9407 (or visit bcaqmd.org) the day of the burn to confirm a permissive burn day. CAL FIRE typically declares a Burn Ban suspending residential burn permits from approximately July 1 through October 31 each year due to elevated wildfire risk after the 2018 Camp Fire and 2020 North Complex Fire. As of November 7, 2025, the requirement for a CAL FIRE residential dooryard burn permit was lifted; BCAQMD burn-day and material-type rules still apply.
Illegal burning (wrong materials, no-burn day, outside permitted hours, or during a burn ban) is enforced by CAL FIRE / Butte County Fire and BCAQMD with administrative fines, infraction citations, and potential criminal prosecution for fires that escape control.
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