Tulare County, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Tulare County is bisected by fire-jurisdiction lines: the valley floor (Local Responsibility Area) is served by the Tulare County Fire Department, while the foothills and Sierra are State Responsibility Area (SRA) under Cal Fire's Tulare Unit. Residential burn permits in the SRA are issued by Cal Fire through burnpermit.fire.ca.gov and double as the District permit for Hazard Reduction Burning. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) regulates open burning under Rule 4103 and prescribed/hazard-reduction burning under Rule 4106; a burn may take place only on a 'permissive burn day' declared by the District for Tulare County and the applicable elevation, with ignition hours generally 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Only dry, natural vegetation (leaves, pine needles, tree trimmings) may be burned — burning of trash, painted/treated wood, plastics, or construction debris is prohibited. Cal Fire residential burn guidelines limit piles to four feet in diameter and four feet in height, require a 10-foot cleared perimeter, and require a shovel and water source on site. California Health & Safety Code § 13007 makes any person who negligently or intentionally sets fire to property civilly liable for damages, and Public Resources Code § 4421 et seq. governs SRA fire-suppression cost recovery. Burn permits are routinely suspended during fire season; the Cal Fire Tulare Unit Chief formally announces when burning is re-opened (most recently October 2023, with subsequent seasonal cycles).