Effective December 16, backyard burning is allowed in some rural parts of San Luis Obispo County.
However, burning depends on the weather.
CAL FIRE Public Information Officer Ryan Grebe explained how the weather factors into backyard burning.
"Typically, we end backyard burning sometime in the spring when the weather is hotter and the relative humidity starts to drop. We don’t want any backyard burns turning into vegetation fires so we try to keep an eye on the weather," Grebe said.
Burning status can be determined by consulting the Permissive Burn Day hotline at (800) 834-287 or the Air Pollution Control District's website.
Two permits are required to be eligible for backyard burning: one from CAL FIRE and another from SLO County's Air Pollution Control District office. A $50 fee is required upon application.
Applicants must also live in a single or two-family unit and fall within CAL FIRE's jurisdiction to be eligible for a permit.
To determine whether you fall within the appropriate jurisdiction, you can input your address into the map here.
Interested applicants can apply for both permits at this linkto the APCD website.
Backyard burning is only allowed for dry, green waste that originates on the property where it is burned and is free of trash and dirt.
If you suspect an illegal backyard burn, you can report it to 9-1-1.
"If it’s an illegal burn, we do have prevention officers that can go out and issue citations. And if the fire escapes because of irresponsible burning practices, we can send ground resources to make sure that fire doesn’t extend into a vegetation fire," Grebe said.
