Fire pit rules in Plumas County, CA — also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances — cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Backyard fire pits and open burn piles in unincorporated Plumas County require a free CAL FIRE burn permit and are only allowed on permissive burn days set by the Northern Sierra AQMD. CAL FIRE rules require a 10-foot clearance to bare mineral soil, piles under 4 feet, a shovel and water on hand, and supervision. Burning is suspended during high fire danger.
Most of Plumas County is State Responsibility Area administered by CAL FIRE's Lassen-Modoc Unit (Lassen-Modoc-Plumas), and air quality is regulated by the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD), which covers Plumas, Sierra, and Nevada counties. CAL FIRE residential burn permits are required throughout the district during the regulated season and are obtained free online at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov. Burning may only occur on a 'permissive burn day' as determined by NSAQMD; residents must call the District's Burn Recorder line at (530) 274-7928 before lighting to confirm it is a legal burn day. CAL FIRE's debris-burning safety rules (Public Resources Code 4423) require maintaining a minimum 10-foot clearance to bare mineral soil in every direction around the pile, keeping piles no larger than 4 feet in diameter, having a shovel and an adequate water source on hand, and never leaving the fire unattended. NSAQMD also recommends burning only between roughly 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. for smoke dispersal and burning material in a dome or teepee shape. CAL FIRE routinely suspends all residential burning during dry, high-fire-danger periods — a suspension took effect at 8:00 a.m. on June 17, 2026 across the Lassen-Modoc-Plumas Unit. Holding a permit does not protect you if your fire escapes; you can be held criminally and civilly liable.
Burning without a CAL FIRE permit, on a non-permissive burn day, during a CAL FIRE suspension, or without the required 10-foot clearance can result in citation by CAL FIRE or NSAQMD. CAL FIRE warns that a permit does not protect you if your burn escapes — you can be held criminally and civilly liable, including for fire-suppression and property-damage costs.
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