Outdoor burning rules in Shasta 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.
Outdoor burning in Shasta County requires a CalFire burn permit during fire season (typically May 1 through fall) and is allowed only on declared burn days by the Shasta County Air Quality Management District. Burn hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. below 1,000 feet elevation and 9:00 a.m. to midnight above 1,000 feet. Only clean dry vegetation may be burned. Trash, treated wood, leaves, and household waste are prohibited.
Open burning in unincorporated Shasta County is jointly regulated by CalFire (for fire safety in State Responsibility Areas) and the Shasta County Air Quality Management District (for air quality). Burn permits from CalFire are required beginning each year, typically May 1, for any residential burning outside organized fire districts. Below 1,000 feet elevation, allowable burn hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the fire must be completely extinguished by 5:00 p.m. Above 1,000 feet elevation, burning is allowed from 9:00 a.m. to midnight. The AQMD declares each day either a Burn Day or a No-Burn Day based on air quality and weather; burning is prohibited on No-Burn Days. Burn piles must be limited in size (typically four feet in diameter), located in cleared ground, attended at all times by an adult with water and a shovel, and ignited only with safe materials. Burning of treated lumber, painted material, household trash, leaves, plastics, tires, and other prohibited materials is illegal year-round. During red-flag warnings, all outdoor burning is suspended.
Burning without a required permit, on a No-Burn Day, outside allowed hours, or of prohibited materials can result in citations and fines from CalFire and/or the AQMD. Any escape that causes a wildfire creates personal civil liability for all suppression and damage costs and may result in criminal charges. Repeat AQMD violations carry escalating administrative penalties.
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See how Shasta County's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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