Santa Cruz County, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Outdoor burning of dry natural vegetation in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is tightly controlled. Per Santa Cruz County Fire Code 7.92.307.2, residential burning is permitted only during the open burn season (the county's published season runs December 1 through May 1, subject to weather), and never between roughly May 1 and December 1. Before burning, residents must obtain a CAL FIRE residential burn permit (online at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov - no physical permit is issued; follow the 'Guidelines for Pile Burning') and must also obtain a smoke-management (backyard burn) permit from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD), which is required for all residential backyard burning. Each burn must occur on a permissible burn day declared by MBARD; check status at mbard.org or call 1-800-225-2876 (1-800-CAL-BURN). Burn-pile size is limited to a maximum of 4 by 4 by 4 feet, only dry natural vegetation may be burned (no trash), ignition is allowed 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with the fire completely out by 5:00 p.m., a 10-foot clearance to bare mineral soil must surround the pile, and a responsible adult must attend continuously. Larger or agricultural burns require a CAL FIRE LE-5 permit with a pre-burn site inspection. Always contact your nearest CAL FIRE station before each burn day.