Agricultural Burning

Agricultural burning is any outdoor fire used in operations for growing crops or raising fowl or other animals. Waste that can be burned is unwanted plant material produced wholly from agricultural operations such as:

• Trees and tree trimmings
• Grass, weeds and trimmings from windbreaks in or adjacent to fields in cultivation or being prepared for cultivation
• Vegetation being cleared from uncultivated or ungrazed land to establish an agricultural operation

All plant material burned must be related to the agricultural operation. Trash may never be burned. If it didn’t grow on your property, you can’t burn it.

Clearing agricultural land for the purpose of non-agricultural development or fire hazard clearance is not considered agricultural burning and not allowed with an agricultural burn permit. Refer to VCAPCD Rule 56, Open Burning, for specific details.

Moist or “green” wood or vegetation produces too much smoke and burns slower than dry wood. Therefore, all materials must be dry before burning.

Stack or arrange the material allowing for maximum air circulation, easy combustion and minimal smoke emissions. 

Minimum drying times:

• Trees or branches exceeding 3" in diameter — six weeks
• Pruning, small branches and other vegetation 3" or less in diameter — three weeks

Longer drying times may be needed due to material density and/or time of year.

Burn permits are available from the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) station closest to the burn location. VCFD personnel will inspect agricultural waste piles for fire safety and compliance with VCAPCD Rule 56. 

It is illegal to conduct any type of agricultural burn without a permit. (California Health & Safety Code Section 41852) Anyone conducting an illegal burn will receive a Notice of Violation and is subject to a fine or referral to the district attorney’s office for prosecution. Additional fees could include fire suppression costs.

Applicants must include the number, size and approximate weight of the piles and the number of acres cleared. (A burn tonnage calculation formula is on the reverse side of the permit.) You also must include the burn location and cell phone number of the on-site person. No more than 300 tons per day may be burned. Report the tons burned after each burn day to VCAPCD at 805-303-3889.

Calculate the tonnage of material by taking the acreage and multiplying by the tons/acre factor listed in the tables below.

Example: Removing 10 acres of citrus orchard
10 acres x 30 tons/acre = 300 tons of burn material

The following tables list factors to be used when calculating tonnage of agricultural waste and for range improvement and weed abatement (Source: California Air Resources Board, 1994). These factors assume the burn material is dry.

VCAPCD meteorologists designate burn days by predicting weather conditions. They watch for weather patterns that provide the best conditions for smoke dispersal. Smoke must rise high in the atmosphere and spread out, not stay close to the ground. Burns are not allowed during the following conditions: ground fog, low coastal clouds, stagnant air conditions, Santa Ana winds, anytime smoke stays on the ground, or if there are too many burns in one area.

Depending on forecast conditions, VCAPCD meteorologists may declare partial burn days or allow burning in some regions but not others. 

Agricultural burning is not permitted on weekends or holidays.

For planning purposes, a "Burn Day" or "No Burn Day" designation is provided at 4 p.m. daily for the following day. There are three burn periods during the day:

• Early Morning — 7 to 10 a.m.
• Late Morning — 10 a.m. to noon
• Afternoon — noon to 4 p.m.

Ventura County is divided into six burn regions:

1. Coastal shore and coastal plain (Ventura/Oxnard/Camarillo)
2. Ojai Valley & surrounding rural areas
3. Santa Clara River Valley from Santa Paula to Piru
4. Simi Valley & Moorpark
5. Conejo Valley (Thousand Oaks & Newbury Park)
6. Northern Ventura County, primarily the Los Padres National Forest area

To access the Burn Day designation:

• Check our Burn Status webpage.
• Sign up to receive the Air Quality Forecast and Agricultural Burn Status email. 
• Call the VCAPCD burn line at 805-303-3888 for recorded information.

You may not burn if the date on the permit has expired.

Once you’ve received a permit and a burn day is declared, notify the local Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) station of your proposed burn.

On the day of the burn, you must have your permit and cell phone at the site. You must comply with all restrictions noted on the permit.

• Use only devices approved by the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) to ignite the material. Do not use tires, tarpaper, plastics, oils or similar materials to ignite piles.
• Ignite the material as rapidly as possible following appropriate fire safety rules.
• Ignite one pile and wait 30 minutes to determine the direction of smoke and ash travel. Do not burn if smoke is staying close to the ground or moving toward populated areas, especially schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.
• If smoke direction and ash travel conditions are met, continue burning.
• Smoldering fires must be mixed, stirred or condensed when safe and practical.

About 150 permitted burns disposing of about 8,000 tons of material take place each year in the county.

If you have any questions, call 805-303-3889.