Lake County, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Lake 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.
Key Facts
- Seasonal ban
- May 1 to CAL FIRE abatement proclamation
- Waste/incinerator ban
- June 1 to abatement proclamation
- Permit issuer
- Fire chief or fire protection district
- Permitted burn hours
- 8am-noon in season / 9am-3pm otherwise
- Suspension authority
- Board of Supervisors, Sec. 22-6
- Enforcement
- Fire chiefs and peace officers, Sec. 22-8
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 6 months jail, Sec. 1-10
Summary
Lake County bans burning brush, stumps, slash and other flammable debris anywhere in the unincorporated county from May 1 until CAL FIRE's Director proclaims the year's fire hazard abated, unless a fire chief or fire protection district has issued a burning permit. Nonagricultural waste burning in open fires or dooryard incinerators is barred from June 1 through the same proclamation date, and the Board of Supervisors can suspend all outdoor burning at any time.
It shall be unlawful for any person to burn or cause to be burned any brush, stumps, logs, fallen timber, fallows, slash or grass, brush or forest covered lands, or any other flammable material within the County of Lake...between the first of May and the date the Director or the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection declares, by proclamation, that the hazardous conditions have abated for that year, or during such other times of the year when unusual fire conditions exist as shall be declared by proclamation of the Director of Forestry or the Board of Supervisors of the County of Lake, unless such burning shall be done in accordance with a burning permit issued by a fire chief or other competent person or a fire protection district or a fire department as designated by the chief of that district or department having jurisdiction of the area in which the burning is to be done. All nonagricultural burning of wastes by open fire or dooryard incinerator shall be prohibited between June 1 and the date the Director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection declares, by proclamation, that the hazardous conditions have abated for each year.
Full Breakdown
Lake County Code Sec. 22-3 makes it unlawful to burn brush, stumps, logs, fallen timber, slash, grass or any other flammable material anywhere in the unincorporated county, on your own land or anyone else's, during the seasonal burn ban that runs from May 1 until the Director of CAL FIRE proclaims that year's hazardous conditions abated, or during any other period the Director of Forestry or the Board of Supervisors declares hazardous. The only way around the ban is a burning permit issued by a fire chief, fire protection district or fire department with jurisdiction over the burn site.
A separate, later-starting ban covers nonagricultural waste burned in an open fire or dooryard incinerator: that ban runs from June 1 to the same CAL FIRE proclamation. Under Sec. 22-4, every permitted burn must strictly follow the permit's terms, with an able-bodied person present until the fire is fully out (Sec. 2), and all burning must also comply with Lake County Air Quality Management District rules, limited to the District's designated permissive burn days (Sec. 3). the rest of the year, unless a special written multi-day permit extends them (Sec.
22-5). Beyond the calendar ban, Sec. 22-6 lets the Board of Supervisors proclaim a suspension of all outdoor burning at any time hazardous conditions warrant for public health, safety or welfare, and individual fire protection district chiefs can suspend burning within their own districts on the same finding. S. Forest Service are the designated enforcement officials under Sec. 22-8. The chapter exempts agricultural pesticide-container disposal, backfires to save life or property, and CAL FIRE/agency training burns under Sec. 2.
Violations & Fines
Burning without a required permit, or outside permitted hours or terms, is enforceable by any fire chief, fire protection district chief, or county, state or federal peace officer under Sec. 22-8. Chapter 22 sets no burning-specific fine, so the Code's general penalty at Sec. 1-10 applies: a fine up to $500, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to burn brush on my property in unincorporated Lake County?
When does Lake County's open burning ban end each year?
What happens if I burn without a permit during Lake County's fire season?
Can Lake County suspend outdoor burning even when it isn't fire season?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
How Lake County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Lake County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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