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San Luis Obispo County backyard burning season opening

December 2, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Following recent rains, San Luis Obispo County on Tuesday announced plans to allow backyard burning beginning Dec. 8. With green grass emerging throughout the county, and stabilized fuel moisture levels, SLO County staff determined it is safe to resume controlled burning on approved burn days.

The 2025–2026 burn season:

• Streamlined permitting by using SLO Clean Air to obtain a permit. Residents will receive both the APCD backyard burn permit and Cal Fire’s residential burn permit simultaneously when the burn season opens.
• Online Permit Access: New applicants can obtain their burn permits online, eliminating the need for paper forms or in-person visits. Applicants will need to call to complete the payment process.
• For agricultural burning, individuals who meet Cal Fire’s criteria for burn permits must apply online through Cal Fire’s online application.
• Always adhere to the terms and conditions of your burn permit.
• Monitor weather conditions and only burn on permissive burn days.
• Ensure that a water source and tools are available on-site for fire control, and never leave your burn
unattended.
• Follow all local and state regulations to minimize smoke impacts on air quality.

For more information about the backyard burning program, visit the SLO County APCD website or contact SLO County Cal Fire at (805) 242-6250.

 


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Thank you dear overloard government for allowing me to pay you a fee to burn twigs and branches on my property! It is so kind of you!


0

This doesn’t mean you get to burn tour trash like back in the day. Here are some of the rules and related info:


•Backyard burning is the burning of green waste material and requires both an APCD permit and a permit from CAL FIRE.


•Backyard burning is permitted only for occupants of one- and two-family dwellings located outside of Urban Reserve Line or Village Reserve Line areas, and on a designated Permissive Burn Day.


•Backyard burning is prohibited within the city limits.


•Atascadero and Arroyo Grande administer their own backyard burn programs.


•All residential open burning of cannabis waste is prohibited.


•Alternatives to backyard burning are available.


0

How hypocritical of the APCD to issue so called ‘burn’ permits at $50 for residents and $100 for commercial pyromaniacs.

The APCD spends considerable time $fining for polluting the air according to their rules or forcing their rules on people and businesses to make expensive $purchases on all kinds of machinery that fit their criteria.

Not to mention the MANY times these burns have gotten out of control… its happened.

After all this ‘control’ effort give us some $cash and “burn baby burn” its suddenly ok for the particulate to end up in our lungs!


0

Is there a fee for permits?


1

$50 for a season permit


3

Thanks, any idea on average how many permits are issued a season?


1