Daly City, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Daly City, 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.
Key Facts
- Yard waste burning
- Prohibited region-wide
- Air district rule
- BAAQMD Regulation 5 (Open Burning)
- Allowed burn types
- Agricultural/land management only, on burn days
- Local fire code
- 2022 CFC adopted by DCMC 15.32.010
- Complaints
- 1-877-4NO-BURN (BAAQMD)
Summary
Burning yard waste, trash, or debris outdoors is illegal in Daly City. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Regulation 5 bans nearly all open burning region-wide, and the few allowable burn types are agricultural or land-management fires that require a designated burn day.
Most open burning is illegal in the Bay Area, but some limited types of open burning fires are allowed, primarily for agricultural or natural resource management purposes. ... Allowable fires may only be set during their established burn season on a designated BURN day.
Full Breakdown
Daly City sits inside the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, whose Regulation 5 (Open Burning) makes most open burning illegal throughout the Bay Area. The Air District allows only a short list of burn types -- marsh management, double crop stubble, range management, stubble, crop replacement, flood debris, orchard pruning, and forest management fires -- each restricted to an established burn season and permissible only on a designated burn day. Residential burning of leaves, grass, garden trimmings, or other yard waste is prohibited and cannot be authorized even with a notification form and fee. Locally, Daly City Municipal Code section 15.32.010 adopts the 2022 California Fire Code, whose Chapter 3 (section 307) requires fire code official approval before any open burning and authorizes the fire department to order extinguishment of any fire that creates a hazardous or objectionable condition. Fire prevention in Daly City is administered through the North County Fire Authority.
Violations & Fines
Illegal open burning can draw enforcement and civil penalties from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (complaints: 1-877-4NO-BURN), and violations of the fire code adopted by DCMC Chapter 15.32 are misdemeanors punishable under Municipal Code section 1.12.010, with each ten days of a continuing violation constituting a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn leaves or garden trimmings in my Daly City yard?
Is any open burning ever legal in Daly City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Daly City
How Daly City compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Daly City to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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