Instructions for Burning - South District

Burning is controlled primarily by two air quality districts – Make sure to complete the right one! Typically, Graton Fire only responds when there is a fire danger, such as an out of control or unattended burn, or when CAL FIRE/County Fire Marshall bans burning.

General Info

• Permits are required for all fire except cooking, religious, and campfires
• The burn pile must always be attended 
• There must be a water source (e.g., extinguisher, garden hose, buckets)
• The area 10 feet around and above the burn piles must be clear of vegetation
• No accelerants may be used to start the burn pile
• Only clean vegetation (e.g., branches, trunks, stumps) from the property of the burn is allowed

Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Bay Area) – SOUTH 

• Bay Area allows very limited burning; same rules apply from Graton to San Jose. Burning is typically only allowed for fruit or nut tree trimmings, diseased items, or hazard mitigation. The Bay Area’s goal is to have everyone chip or haul away trimmings. The permit info states which months each type of burning is allowed.
• Commercial, agricultural burns (e.g., crop replacement) are allowed year-round but require additional permits from the County Agricultural Commissioner
• The Bay Area is a “notification-only” permit. That is, the permit request and payment is mailed and burning can happen 5 days later (if submitted and paid online, same day burning is okay). It is not reviewed for approval/denial, and nothing is mailed back. It is good for the season.
• ​Burn hours are 10am until 2 hours before sunset
• Pile size maximum is 25 square yards (e.g., 5’x5’) and height of 2/3 the base width
• ​www.baaqmd.gov and 415-749-4999 for more info; 800-334-6367 to report an improper burn
• Apply for a permit at www.baaqmd.gov/permits/open-burn

State Responsibility Areas (SRA) are also controlled by CAL FIRE

• Between May 1st and the end of the burning season, CAL FIRE requires an additional permit (no fee, but piles larger than 4’x4’ require an inspection)
• CAL FIRE permits are available at their fire stations and http://burnpermit.fire.ca.gov
• Call 874-3668 (Occidental Station, seasonal) or 576-2001 (Santa Rosa Station, year-round) to confirm if you are in SRA and make an appointment, if needed

Burn Season/Residential Burn Ban

• Once the fire danger is too great, the Sonoma County Fire Marshal and CAL FIRE will ban all residential burning. This can happen as early as May 1st depending on the weather but is typically extended 30-45 days
• It reopens after 2” of rain (we will get a notice from CAL FIRE/County Fire Marshal).
• Even during the burn ban, the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner can issue a burn permit. These are typically for commercial operations and require significant safeties (water trucks, dozers, safety lines, etc.).

Day of Burning
With the completed permits in-hand, there are 3 phone calls that must be made:

1. Confirm it is a burn day at 800-792-0787. NOTE: just because the recording says it is a burn day, does not mean backyard burning is allowed... Air Quality does not know if the Sonoma County Fire Marshal Burn Ban is in effect due to fire danger
2. Notify REDCOM County dispatch at 565-1700 using the burn line
3. Notify Graton Fire at 823-8400 x105. The voicemail is changed when the ban is in effect