Nevada County, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Outdoor (open) burning in unincorporated Nevada County is jointly controlled by air-quality rules and fire rules. The Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD) declares each day a permissive (legal) or no-burn day based on weather and air quality; the status is posted by about 8 a.m. and is available on the burn-day line at (530) 274-7928. Burning is allowed only on permissive burn days, and NSAQMD recommends limiting burns to roughly 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for good smoke dispersion. Only dry vegetation that originated on the property may be burned, and it must be sufficiently dry - down and drying for at least three to six weeks - so it ignites readily and produces minimal smoke. Prohibited materials include household trash, cardboard, plywood, treated lumber, tires, and burn barrels; in Western Nevada County, piles made primarily of unattached leaves and pine needles are not allowed (these may make up only a small fraction of a pile). On the fire side, CAL FIRE requires a residential burn permit (obtained free at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov), reapplied for each year on or after May 1, and CAL FIRE suspends burning during high-danger periods. Even on a legal burn day, causing a smoke nuisance to neighbors is a violation, and burn projects larger than one acre need a separate District air-pollution permit.