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Burn Permits

This information is specific to the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSCAPCD) which is the air quality jurisdiction for the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District. 

An air quality permit is required year-round for all types of burning including agriculture and residential pile burning, as well as prescribed burning.  Obtain your air quality “Open Burn Permit” at https://nosocoair.org/

No other permit is needed unless you are located in CAL FIRE jurisdiction and plan to burn between May 1 and the end of declared fire season.  CAL FIRE jurisdiction is referred to as State Responsibility Area (SRA).  SRA is generally the mountainous terrain and not the valley floors.  You can determine if your location is in SRA at https://www.firepreventionfee.org/sra-lookup/.  If you are located in the SRA and plan to burn between May 1 and the end of declared fire season, contact CAL FIRE Healdsburg at (707) 433-2020 to obtain a CAL FIRE Burn Permit.  More information is also available at CAL FIRE’s website https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/.

CAL FIRE and the County of Sonoma may implement a “Burn Permit Suspension” which prohibits most types of burning.  This Suspension usually occurs during our summer and fall months.

Please follow all safe burning guidelines, burn on approved “burn days,” and register your burn. 

OCTOBER 27, 2021
BURN PERMIT STATUS

Current Situation

What it Means

This information is only for the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSCAPCD).  Air quality jurisdiction website: https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/Air-Quality/

  • NSCAPCD “burn” permits are required year-round
  • From May 1 until the end of “hazardous fire conditions,” CAL FIRE burn permits are required for SRA.  (The burn permit suspension was CAL FIRE’s discretion to not issue burn permits.)
    • For piles less than 4’x4’, CAL FIRE burn permits can be obtained online at https://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov/apply-for-a-permit/
    • For piles larger than 4’x4’, the burner needs to call a CAL FIRE facility with enough lead time to allow for a site visit.
  • Local government agencies (Healdsburg City, Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District, and Cloverdale Fire Protection District) may require permits for LRA.  Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District does not require permits in addition to NSCAPCD permits.  Burners need to contact other agencies for their requirements.
  • Current burn hours are 10AM-4PM.  These hours will not change until May 1, 2022.

Burn Day Status (Posted by 3PM of each day for the following day):  (707) 565-2876
Burning Registration (call morning of burning):  (707) 565-2876 AND press 1 to skip recording
NSCAPCD Office:  (707) 433-5911

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