Outdoor burning rules in Alpine County, CA — also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance — set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Open burning in unincorporated Alpine County requires a permit from the State Fire Warden (CAL FIRE) from April 15 to December 1 under County Code Chapter 8.16, and is separately regulated by the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District, which limits burning to permissive 'burn days' under a valid burn permit. During declared fire restrictions, open burning is banned outright.
Two layers of rules govern outdoor burning in Alpine County. First, Alpine County Code section 8.16.010 makes it unlawful to burn any brush, grass, trash, rubbish, stubble or other flammable material — or to clear land by fire — between April 15th and December 1st without a permit from the State Fire Warden (CAL FIRE) or an authorized agent. A burn permit specifies the dates and hours, the person in charge, the number of attendants, and the firefighting equipment that must be on hand (section 8.16.040). Owners of structures on or adjacent to mountainous, forest or brush land must maintain a firebreak of at least 30 feet around the structure (section 8.16.050). Small attended piles set at least 50 feet from woodland or brush may be burned without written permission if an adult attends at all times (section 8.16.030), and it is unlawful to leave any fire unattended (section 8.16.070) or to discard burning material such as tobacco between April 15 and December 1 (section 8.16.060). Second, because Alpine County lies within the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (which also covers Inyo and Mono counties), open burning is allowed only on burn days designated by the California Air Resources Board and requires a District burn permit; the District's Rules 406–411 cover open outdoor fires, burn barrels, agricultural, range, forest-management and wildland/urban-interface burning. Whenever the county declares a fire restriction (often tracking U.S. Forest Service restrictions), open burning is prohibited entirely under section 8.20.050.
Open burning without the required CAL FIRE permit during the April 15–December 1 window is a misdemeanor under County Code section 8.16.100, punishable by a fine up to $500 and/or up to six months in jail. Burning on a no-burn day or without a District permit violates Great Basin Unified APCD rules and can bring separate air-district penalties. Burning during a declared fire restriction is a misdemeanor/infraction with a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail (section 8.20.070), and anyone whose fire escapes is liable for suppression costs (Health & Safety Code 13009).
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