Outdoor burning rules in Modesto, 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 grass, weeds, agricultural trimmings, or other combustibles is prohibited in Modesto without a permit from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and permitted burning is restricted to agricultural land within city limits.
Modesto Municipal Code § 3-1.206 (amending CFC § 307.1) provides: 'No person shall kindle, conduct, or maintain any burning of grass, weeds, agricultural trimmings, or other combustibles or authorize any such fire to be kindled, conducted, or maintained without a permit as required by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District and compliance with all safeguards pursuant thereto. Any such permitted burning shall be restricted to agricultural purposes and confined to areas in the city limits in which agricultural uses are lawful or as regulated or prohibited by other municipal codes.' Section 307.4.1 of the California Fire Code (which would otherwise have allowed bonfires up to 5 ft x 5 ft, 50 ft from structures with a fire-official permit) is expressly deleted by the city. Layered on top, the San Joaquin Valley Air District's Rule 4103 governs open-burning eligibility and 'no-burn' days, and Rule 4901 separately bans residential wood combustion (including in fireplaces and stoves) on declared no-burn days from November 1 through the end of February.
Administrative penalties of $500 / $1,000 / $1,500 apply for first/second/subsequent Chapter 1 violations within twelve months (§ 3-1.303(b)). Burning without an Air District permit is also separately enforceable by the SJVAPCD with civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation under California Health & Safety Code § 42402. Modesto can recover its full police, code-enforcement, and fire response costs under § 3-1.305.
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See how Modesto's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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