Outdoor burning rules in Sonora, 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.
Open burning within Sonora is regulated under Municipal Code Chapter 8.32 (Unlawful Open Burning, Ordinance 828). A burn permit is required from the Sonora Fire Department at $60 per year including a site inspection. Burning is only allowed on APCD permissive burn days.
Sonora Municipal Code Chapter 8.32, enacted by Ordinance 828, makes burning without a permit a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. Burn permits cost $60 per year from the Sonora Fire Department at 201 S. Shepherd Street (209-532-7431) and include a site inspection. The Tuolumne County Air Pollution Control District determines permissive burn days. CAL FIRE burn permits are also available at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov. Pile size must be 4 feet or less in diameter, only clean dry vegetation may be burned, and burn barrels are prohibited statewide. Call the APCD Burn Line at 209-533-5598 for daily burn status.
Misdemeanor under SMC Chapter 8.32 — fine, imprisonment, or both. Additional penalties from CAL FIRE and APCD for burning without permits or on no-burn days.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Tuolumne County.
See how other cities in Tuolumne County handle outdoor burning.
See how Sonora's outdoor burning rules stack up against other locations.
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