Outdoor burning rules in Whittier, 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 of trash, leaves, brush, or debris is effectively banned in Whittier. South Coast AQMD Rule 444 prohibits residential open burning anywhere in the South Coast Air Basin, and the LA County Fire Code adopted at Municipal Code Section 15.15.010 bars open burning that creates a hazard. Only contained recreational and cooking fires are allowed.
Whittier lies within the South Coast Air Basin, regulated by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). SCAQMD Rule 444 (Open Burning) prohibits the open burning of combustible materials - yard waste, leaves, brush, paper, lumber, and construction debris - in the basin without an AQMD permit, and residential open-burn permits are not issued in urban Los Angeles County. Whittier adopts the Los Angeles County Fire Code (Title 32) by reference at Municipal Code Section 15.15.010, which incorporates California Fire Code Chapter 3; CFC Section 307 prohibits open burning that creates or adds to a hazardous condition and requires a permit from the fire code official for the limited types of burning that are allowed (such as silvicultural, range/wildlife management, disease/pest control, or bonfires). The only outdoor fires Whittier residents may have are contained cooking and recreational fires that comply with the adopted fire code. Agricultural and prescribed burning under Rule 444 occurs only in rural areas on approved burn days called by the California Air Resources Board - not in urban Whittier. Yard waste should be placed in the green organics cart for collection rather than burned. Whittier contracts fire protection to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Open burning without authorization is enforceable as a misdemeanor under the adopted LA County / California Fire Code administrative penalty provisions, generally carrying fines and/or jail. SCAQMD Rule 444 violations are separately enforced by the District as administrative or civil penalties, which under California Health & Safety Code Section 42402 can reach thousands of dollars per day and may be referred for criminal prosecution. The Los Angeles County Fire Department, which provides fire protection to Whittier, may order immediate extinguishment of any illegal open fire.
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