Outdoor burning rules in Bakersfield, 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 outdoor burning of yard waste and trash is prohibited in Bakersfield year-round under San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Rule 4103 and Bakersfield Municipal Code provisions. Only permitted agricultural burns and small recreational fires in approved devices are allowed, with authorization required from the SJVAPCD and Bakersfield Fire Department.
Bakersfield sits in the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most air-quality-challenged basins in the United States and a federal PM2.5 nonattainment area. Under SJVAPCD Rule 4103, residential open burning of yard waste, leaves, prunings, construction debris, and household trash is banned year-round throughout the Valley, including the entire City of Bakersfield. Bakersfield Municipal Code Chapter 8.48 and California Fire Code §307 mirror these prohibitions and give the Bakersfield Fire Department authority to extinguish any unauthorized fire and issue citations. Limited exceptions exist: (1) agricultural burns of ag-related vegetation can be conducted only on 'permissive burn days' declared by the Air District, only with a valid burn permit from SJVAPCD and the Bakersfield Fire Department, and only during prescribed morning hours; (2) recreational fires under California Fire Code §307.4.2 are allowed if the fire is no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet tall, uses only clean dry wood or approved manufactured logs, is located at least 25 feet from structures, and is constantly attended with a hose or extinguisher available; (3) portable outdoor fireplaces must be 15 feet from structures and use approved fuels. During 'No Burn' days — typically declared November through February — even allowable recreational wood burning can be restricted or banned by the Air District, and fines for illegal burning start at $100 for a first offense and rise quickly. Burning trash or construction debris is never legal, regardless of the day.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Bakersfield code enforcement.pdf) directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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