Outdoor burning rules in Kings 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 of yard waste and household trash is effectively prohibited in unincorporated Kings County, which sits in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Kings County Fire no longer issues burn permits; agricultural burn permits come from the air district, and most open agricultural burning has been phased out under state law.
Kings County is one of eight counties in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD), which governs open outdoor burning under District Rule 4103 (Open Burning). Open burning of leaves, garden debris, prunings, and household waste is generally prohibited in the Valley to control PM2.5 air pollution. The Kings County Fire Department states it no longer issues burn permits and directs residents seeking an agricultural burn permit to contact the SJVAPCD. Under California Senate Bill 705 and SJVAPCD rules, open agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley has been phased out between 2005 and 2025; as of January 1, 2025, even small orchard removals, vineyard removals, and surface-harvested prunings are prohibited from open burning, with only limited disease-related exceptions allowed on permissive burn days. Kings County Code Section 10-6 separately makes it unlawful to leave any fire unattended, and Section 10-5 preserves civil and criminal liability for any escaped fire regardless of permit. Hazard-reduction burning of cleared vegetation is allowed only in the State Responsibility Area (which does not include most of the Kings County valley floor) under SJVAPCD Rule 4106.
Illegal open burning violates SJVAPCD rules and can result in air-district civil penalties; under California Health & Safety Code Section 42402, air-quality violations are subject to civil penalties that can reach thousands of dollars per day. Leaving a fire unattended is unlawful under Kings County Code Section 10-6. A person whose fire escapes and requires a fire-department response can be billed for suppression costs under California Health & Safety Code Section 13009. Agricultural burning without an SJVAPCD permit or on a non-permissive burn day is a violation of the air district's open-burning rules.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Kings County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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