Effective Friday, Nov. 1 at 8 a.m., the burn permit suspension will be lifted. 

Effective Friday, Nov. 1 at 8 a.m., the burn permit suspension in the counties of Colusa, Lake,  Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo will be lifted. CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Chief Matt Ryan is formally cancelling the burn permit suspension and advises that those possessing current and valid agriculture and residential burn permits can now resume burning on permissible burn days. Agriculture burns must be inspected by CAL FIRE  prior to burning until the end of the peak fire season. Inspections may be required for burns other than  agriculture burns. This can be verified by contacting your local Air Quality Management District. 
 
Cooler temperatures, higher humidity’s and the chance of winter weather have helped to begin to diminish the threat of wildfire. Property owners and residents are asked to use caution while conducting debris or  agriculture burns, follow all guidelines provided and maintain control of the fire at all times. Individuals can be held civilly and/or criminally liable for allowing a fire to escape their control and/or burn onto neighboring property. 
 
Residents wishing to burn MUST verify it is a permissive burn day prior to burning. Contact your local Air  Quality Management District to ensure it is a permissive burn day. 

• Bay Area Air Quality Management District for southern Sonoma and Napa counties: 1-877-466-2876 
 
Pile Burning Requirements 
• Only dry, natural vegetative material such as leaves, pine needles and tree trimmings may be burned. 
• The burning of trash, painted wood or other debris is not allowed. 
• Do NOT burn on windy days. 
• Piles should be no larger than four feet in diameter and in height. You can add to pile as it burns down. 
• Clear a 10-foot diameter down to bare soil around your piles. 
• Have a shovel and a water source nearby. 
• An adult is required to be in attendance of the fire at all times. 
 
Safe residential pile burning of forest residue by landowners is a crucial tool in reducing fire hazards. State,  Federal and Local land management and fire agencies will also be utilizing this same window of opportunity to  conduct prescribed burns aimed at improving forest health and resiliency on private and public lands.   
 

General Rules and Conditions in the Sonoma Valley Fire District

Follow all rules and requirements on your issued BAAQ / and or Cal-Fire Burn Permit 

The SVFD as the local fire agency is not currently issuing separate burn permits. 

1. AIR QUALITY NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENT: Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) regulations requires notification prior to burning on the BAAQMD Regulation 5 Notification Form. The Air District will no longer accept any FAX notifications effective November 15, 2021. You may submit your Open Burning Notifications via the online link, email, or U.S. mail. (postmarked at least 5 days prior to burning), or as an email attachment. Verbal notification is not acceptable. 

2. Once notification to the BAAQMD has been made, burn only on permissive burn days when weather conditions make it safe to do so. 

• To determine if it's a burn day, call 1-800-792-0787, or subscribe to the Open Burn Status (RSS) feed http://www.baaqmd.gov/Feeds/OpenBurnRSS.aspx. Sonoma County is in the Northern Zone of the BAAQMD. 
• Notify the Redwood Empire Dispatch Communications Authority (REDCOM) prior to burning at (707) 565-1700.

3. No burning is allowed before 10:00 a.m., and you may not add to the fire 2 hours before sunset. All burn piles must be managed to ensure that smoke is not produced after sunset. This means that allowing material such as stumps and tree trunks to smolder after sunset is not prohibited. 

4. Burn only acceptable materials: 

• You may burn only the byproducts of your agricultural business, e.g. dry prunings, vines, etc. You may not burn residential yard waste such as landscape debris, garden trimmings, leaves, grass, lumber, pressure treated wood, stakes, trash, or plastics, etc.
• Materials must be dry and arranged to promote rapid combustion. 
• The burning of treated or painted wood, household garbage, plastics, shop waste, wood waste, demolition debris, oil filters, tires, or tar paper is strictly prohibited.
• Please insure an adequate water supply is nearby that can extinguish the fire if necessary as noted under the General Safety Guidelines.

GENERAL SAFETY PRACTICES 

• Have shovels and other tools nearby. 

• This permit is valid only on days which are determined “permissive burn days” by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 41855 and have no fire restriction. 

• You may only conduct the burn on a “permissive” burn day. Call the Burn Status Hotline at 1-800- 792-0787 to obtain this information. 

• Open burning will only be conducted during the hours established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. 

• An adult must be in attendance at all times to prevent the spread of fire or the creation of hazardous conditions. 

• All fires must be conducted only on the premises of the owner or lessee provided, however, that the term “premises” does not include the area within the right-of-way of any street. 

• No fires will be conducted on any public or private street or within the right-of-way of a public or private street. 

• An adequate water supply capable of controlling and extinguishing the fire shall be provided at the burning site. An adequate water supply can include a garden hose connected to a water supply, portable fire extinguisher (2A-10BC), or a minimum of 5 gallons of water in a container. 

• Burning shall be done when weather conditions do not create an unsafe burning condition. 

• If the smoke is affecting your neighbor or creating an unsafe condition, open burning shall be suspended until such time that conditions are more favorable to open burning. 

• Maximum burn pile size per by BAAQMD (see Regulation 5: Open Burn, General Open Burn Information). 

• An area within 10 feet of the outer edge of the pile shall be maintained free and clear of flammable material and vegetation. Keep fire a minimum of 50 feet from combustibles, property lines, structures, overhead wires, vehicles, etc. 

• Only dry, natural, vegetative material such as leaves, pine needles, and tree trimmings that originated on the property may be burned. 

• Burning household garbage is NOT allowed. 

• NEVER burn on windy days.