Westminster, CA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

Westminster sits within the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which regulates open burning under Rule 444. In the densely populated South Coast Air Basin, routine residential open burning—burning leaves, brush, yard clippings, or household trash in the open—is not permitted; AQMD's open-burn program reserves authorized burning (such as limited agricultural or hazard-reduction burns) for specific rural circumstances that require a Burn Authorization Number and, for larger burns, a burn management plan. None of those exceptions apply to ordinary city backyards. Separately, the California Fire Code, which Westminster adopts in Municipal Code Chapter 15.22 and which the Orange County Fire Authority enforces, prohibits open burning that creates a hazard and requires fire-official authorization for any permitted burning. As a result, there is no lawful way for a Westminster homeowner to openly burn refuse or yard waste. Residents should instead use the city's trash and green-waste (organics) collection. Recreational fires in approved devices and barbecue cooking are treated differently from "open burning" and remain allowed subject to fire-code and air-quality rules. Smoke that drifts onto neighbors can also be cited as a public nuisance under WMC Chapter 8.20.