Burn Permits

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Residential Burn Permits: What You Need to Know

If you plan to burn vegetative debris on your property, you must obtain a burn permit. Burn permits are available online at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov. Permits are no longer issued in person at our fire stations.

Burn Pile Size & Additional Permits

4' x 4' or smaller: A standard residential burn permit is required.
Larger than 4' x 4': You must obtain a permit from the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District (AQMD) at 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667. Phone #: 530.621.6662.

When Can You Burn?

Burning is only allowed on designated Burn Days. Before lighting your pile, check the Burn Day status by:

Visiting the Air Quality Control website
Calling 530.621.5897 or 866.621.5897

What Can Be Burned?

✅ Allowed: Tree trimmings, vines, brush, leaves, lawn clippings, and dry plants collected from your property.

❌ Prohibited: Stumps, poison oak, household garbage, plastics, treated lumber, tires, insulation, paints, and other toxic materials.

🚫 Burn barrels are banned.

Safe Burning Guidelines

Max pile size: 4 feet in diameter
Clearance: 10 feet around the pile must be free of flammable materials
Supervision: A responsible adult with a shovel must be present until the fire is out
Water supply: Must be available at the burn site
Weather conditions: Burning should only occur when it is safe to do so, especially considering wind conditions

⚠️ Important: Violating burn permit terms is a violation of state law (Public Resources Code 4421-4425). If a fire escapes control, you may be liable for suppression costs (Health & Safety Code 13009).

For questions, contact the Community Risk/Community Relations division at 916.933.6623.

Additional Resources:

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Word Viewer