Ontario, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Ontario, 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
- Air district
- South Coast AQMD (SCAQMD)
- Code Section
- SCAQMD Rule 444(d)(3)(A); 2022 CFC Section 307
- Residential burning
- Prohibited
- Adopted code
- 2022 California Fire Code via Ontario Municipal Code
Summary
Open burning to dispose of residential waste, leaves, brush, or trash is prohibited in Ontario. The city is in the South Coast Air Quality Management District, whose Rule 444 (Open Burning) expressly prohibits residential burning, and the Ontario Fire Prevention Bureau enforces the 2022 California Fire Code open-burning rules.
(d)(3) A person is prohibited from open burning for: (A) Residential burning; (B) Disposal of waste, except as specified in (d)(2) above, including hospital waste; (C) Disposal of materials generated as a result of land use conversion for non-agricultural purposes... 'RESIDENTIAL BURNING means open burning for the purposes of disposing of combustible or flammable solid waste, excluding Russian thistle, from a specific residence on its premises.'
Full Breakdown
Ontario is within the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). SCAQMD Rule 444 (Open Burning), most recently amended July 12, 2013, governs all open burning in the district and lists 'residential burning' among the activities a person is expressly prohibited from conducting. Rule 444 defines residential burning as 'open burning for the purposes of disposing of combustible or flammable solid waste...from a specific residence on its premises.' This means burning household trash, yard waste, leaves, or land-clearing debris in the backyard is not allowed - residents must use green-waste and trash collection instead. The Ontario Fire Prevention Bureau also enforces the 2022 California Fire Code (CFC), adopted by the Ontario Municipal Code, under which any open burning must be conducted and approved per CFC Section 307, and the fire code official may order open burning extinguished when it creates a hazard. Recreational fires and barbecues are treated separately (see the backyard-fires and fire-pit-rules subcategories).
Violations & Fines
Residential open burning is a violation of SCAQMD Rule 444 and the adopted California Fire Code, subject to SCAQMD enforcement and administrative penalties, plus potential California Fire Code citations and fire-department cost recovery for any response. The fire code official is authorized to order extinguishment of any non-compliant open burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn leaves or yard waste in my Ontario backyard?
Does any open burning require a permit in Ontario?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
How Ontario compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle outdoor burning.