Open Burning

Backyard Burn Season ended on April 30, 2024 and will reopen on December 1, 2024

Smoke management is the use of techniques such as meteorology, fuel moisture, fuel loading, fire suppression and other burn methods to minimize the smoke impacts from fires. Accordingly, the purpose of the MBARD's Smoke Management Program is to minimize the air quality impacts of open burning.

Backyard burning is the burning of green waste material by occupants of single- or two-family dwellings. Backyard burn season is December 1 through April 30.

BROCHURE: Backyard Burning of Dry Vegetation in San Lorenzo Valley

BROCHURE: Backyard Burning of Dry Vegetation in Monterey, San Benito, and Santa CruZ Counties (excluding San Lorenzo Valley)

Agricultural burning is used in the growing of crops, the raising of fowl, animals, or bees as a gainful occupation.

Click HERE to submit an Agricultural Burn Permit Application.

Prescribed burning is the use of broadcast or pile burns for the purposes of managing wildlands, range improvement, or improving wildlife habitat.

Development burns are for disposing of dry vegetation grown on a property being developed for commercial or residential purposes. Please contact the MBARD office to apply for a Development Burn Permit.

LINKS TO PERMIT APPLICATIONS:

Agricultural Burn Permit Online Application

Prescribed Burn Permit Online Application (For Support or Assistance: Irene Miranda 831-718-8021 imiranda@mbard.org)

Applicable Rules and Regulations:

Rule 438 Title 17: Smoke Management Guidelines for Agricultural and Prescribed Burning Santa Cruz County Guidelines for Pile Burning

Burn Type Information

What are the Different Types of Burns?Trash Burning Ban Warming Fires Guidelines

Health Effects of Smoke

How Smoke Can Affect Your Health Visibility and Particle Concentration

Recent Press Releases

BEU CAL FIRE Burn Permit Suspenion Lifted 12-7-2022 BEU CAL FIRE Burn Permit Suspension 1-13-2021.pdf Santa Cruz County Burn Ban Lifted.pdf Monterey and San Benito Counties Burn Ban Lifted.pdf

For more information please contact:

Website Accessibility Policy

Monterey Bay Air Resources District is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, Monterey Bay Air Resources District has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.

If you need any special assistance or accommodations:

Call us at (831) 647-9411

Ongoing Compliance Information

Compliance Officer

Monterey Bay Air Resources District has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations. The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.

Compliance Procedures and Reports

In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards, Monterey Bay Air Resources District regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.

Linked Documents and Third Parties

Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.

See an opportunity for us to improve? Please contact our accessibility officer or call us at (831) 647-9411.

Report a Website Accessibility Issue

We are committed to your ability to access all content, and we will respond to all requests as soon as possible.

Open Burning

For more information please contact:

MBARD Planning Division

Backyard Burning Permit Application

Burn Zone Locator

Fire District Locator

Pile Burn Emission Calculator