Burn permits and fire pits in Westlake Village, California
You can't burn brush, yard waste or trash at your home: South Coast AQMD Rule 444 bans residential burning, and any other open burning needs a written permit and a declared burn day. Recreational fires and fires for cooking or warmth using natural gas, propane, untreated wood or charcoal are exempt from that rule, but the L.A. County Fire Code and winter no-burn days still apply.
| Burning household or yard waste | Prohibited [1] |
| Recreational fires / fire pits | Exempt from Rule 444 (fuel: gas, propane, untreated wood or charcoal for cooking or warmth) [3] |
| Other open burning | Written permit plus permissive burn day required [5] |
| Winter wood-burning restrictions | November through February, below 3,000 ft (Rule 445) [8] |
Brush and yard waste
Westlake Village is in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Its open-burning rule, Rule 444 (we reviewed the version amended July 12, 2013, so check aqmd.gov for later changes), prohibits "residential burning" [1], defined as burning combustible or flammable solid waste from a residence on its premises [2]. Burning brush, leaves or trash in your yard is not allowed.
Any open burning the rule does allow needs a permissive or marginal burn day that the fire agency hasn't prohibited [5], plus a written permit from the air district or fire agency [6]. The allowed categories are mainly agricultural, prescribed and training burns. They include abating a fire hazard only when a fire agency decides there's no other viable option [7]. For brush, plan on chipping, green-waste pickup or hauling instead.
Fire pits and recreational fires
Rule 444 doesn't apply to recreational or ceremonial fires [3]. It also exempts natural gas, propane, untreated wood or charcoal burned to cook food or for warmth at a social gathering [4]. Wood fires are a separate matter: Rule 444 says that from November through February, burning of solid fuels can be restricted below 3,000 feet under Rule 445, the district's wood-burning device rule [8]. We didn't review Rule 445 itself. Check for no-burn days before lighting a wood fire pit in winter.
Local fire code
The City has adopted the Los Angeles County Fire Code (Title 32), based on the California Fire Code, and the County version controls where they conflict [9]. That code, enforced by L.A. County Fire, has its own rules for open flames, outdoor fireplaces and fire-hazard areas; its text wasn't among the documents we reviewed. Don't burn trash, treated wood or yard waste in a fire pit.
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Next steps
- Don't burn brush or yard waste; use green-waste collection, chipping or hauling.
- Before using a wood-burning fire pit from November through February, check South Coast AQMD's no-burn day forecast (aqmd.gov).
- For any outdoor fire feature or fire-hazard question, contact L.A. County Fire Department Fire Prevention for current rules and red-flag restrictions.
Common questions
- Can I burn yard waste in Westlake Village, California?
- No. South Coast AQMD Rule 444 bans residential burning, meaning burning waste from a home on its premises, so brush, leaves and trash can't be burned. Use chipping, green-waste pickup or hauling instead.
- Are fire pits allowed in Westlake Village, California?
- Yes, recreational fires and fires for cooking or warmth using natural gas, propane, untreated wood or charcoal are exempt from Rule 444. The L.A. County Fire Code and winter no-burn days still apply.
- Is there a winter burn ban in Westlake Village, California?
- It can apply. From November through February, burning of solid fuels can be restricted below 3,000 feet under AQMD Rule 445, so check South Coast AQMD's no-burn day forecast before lighting a wood fire pit.
- Do I need a burn permit in Westlake Village, California?
- Any open burning Rule 444 does allow needs a written permit from the air district or fire agency and a permissive burn day. The allowed categories are mainly agricultural, prescribed and training burns, not residential burning.
California rules on outdoor burning and fire pits
Outdoor burning is controlled mainly by your regional air district and CAL FIRE or your local fire agency, and city codes add more limits.
Statewide rules:
- No trash burning: since January 1, 2004, a California Air Resources Board rule has banned burning household garbage outdoors at homes, and burn barrels can't be used, even for vegetation. Dry vegetation grown on the property may be burned in open piles unless local rules prohibit it, on days the air district allows.
- Fire permits in wildland areas: in state responsibility areas and other areas CAL FIRE protects, burning brush or other vegetation needs a written permit during fire season, and at any time in some zones (Pub. Res. Code §4423).
- Cooking and recreational fires are not covered by the state open-burning ban (Health & Safety Code §41806). Air districts can still restrict them.
Examples of air district rules (check yours):
- Bay Area Air District: open burning is prohibited unless a specific exemption applies (Regulation 5). Recreational fires are allowed except during a Mandatory Burn Ban. During a Spare the Air Alert, it's illegal to burn wood in fireplaces, wood stoves or outdoor fire pits (Regulation 6, Rule 3).
- South Coast AQMD: residential burning (burning a home's combustible waste on site) is banned (Rule 444). From November through February, declared No-Burn days bar indoor and outdoor wood-burning devices, including fire pits and chimineas (Rule 445), with some exemptions.
Other districts have their own burn-day systems; check yours and your city fire code.
What the ordinance says
- SCAQMD Rule 444(d)(3), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 9
A person is prohibited from open burning for: (A) Residential burning
- SCAQMD Rule 444(c)(28), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 6
RESIDENTIAL BURNING means open burning for the purposes of disposing of combustible or flammable solid waste, excluding Russian thistle, from a specific residence on its premises.
- SCAQMD Rule 444(h)(6), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 15
Except for the requirements of subparagraph (d)(3) and (d)(4), the provisions of this rule shall not apply to: (A) Recreational fires or ceremonial fires, including fires conducted pursuant to United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8.
- SCAQMD Rule 444(h)(6)(B), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 15
(B) Open burning of natural gas, propane, untreated wood, or charcoal for the purpose of: (i) Preparation or warming of food for human consumption; or (ii) Generating warmth at a social gathering.
- SCAQMD Rule 444(d)(1), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 7
A person shall not conduct or allow open burning unless all of the following are met: (A) The Executive Officer has declared the day a permissive burn day or a marginal burn day on which burning is permitted in the applicable source/receptor area and such burning is not prohibited by the applicable public fire protection agency.
- SCAQMD Rule 444(d)(1)(B), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 7
The Executive Officer or the applicable fire protection agency has issued a written permit for the burn.
- SCAQMD Rule 444(d)(2)(D), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 8
Abatement of a fire hazard that a fire protection agency determines cannot be abated by an economically, ecologically and logistically viable option
- SCAQMD Rule 444(c)(20), South Coast AQMD Rule 444 - Open Burning (amended July 12, 2013), p. 4
MANDATORY WINTER BURNING CURTAILMENT means a period of time during the consecutive months of November through February where the burning of solid fuels is restricted for portions of the South Coast Air Basin at elevations below 3,000 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL) based on the air quality criteria contained in AQMD Rule 445 (Wood-Burning Devices).
- Sec. 3.1.005, Municipal Code Article 3 Ch. 3.1 Fire Prevention, p. 1
In the event of any conflict between provisions of the California Fire Code, 2022 Edition, International Fire Code, 2021 Edition, Title 32 of the Los Angeles County Code, or any amendment to the Fire Code contained in the Westlake Village Municipal Code, the provision contained in the later listed document shall control.