Burn permits and fire pits in Woodside, California
Backyard brush and yard-waste burning is generally prohibited in Woodside under the Bay Area Air District's open-burning rule (Regulation 5). The narrow exception is fire-hazard clearing that a fire official orders and allows. Recreational fires such as a fire pit or campfire using clean dry wood are exempt from the ban, except during a Mandatory Burn Ban. The Woodside Fire Protection District may add its own limits.
| General rule | No open burning in the Bay Area Air District except as the regulation allows [1] |
| Recreational fires (fire pits, campfires) | Exempt from the general ban [2] |
| Recreational fire definition | Clean dry wood and fire starter only; not part of a business [3] |
| Mandatory Burn Ban | No recreational fires during ban periods [4] |
| Cooking fires | Exempt [5] |
| Fire-hazard brush burning | Only if set or allowed by a public fire official and no other way to abate it [6] |
| Earliest start, hazard-reduction pile burns | 9:30 a.m., on permissive burn days, with prior notice to the Air District [7] |
Brush and yard waste
Woodside's municipal code chapters we reviewed (building, site development, subdivision and zoning) don't regulate outdoor burning, so this page relies on the Air District rule. The controlling rule is the Bay Area Air District's Regulation 5, which bars any outdoor fire in the district except as the regulation provides [1]. Ordinary backyard burning of yard waste isn't on the list of allowable fires. Burning to reduce a fire hazard is possible only when a public fire official sets or allows it, finds it necessary, and the hazard can't be abated any other way [6]. Burning of defensible-space clearing ordered under Public Resources Code §4291 is allowed only under strict conditions. Those include more than 5 cubic yards cleared a year, material that can't be reached by vehicle, chipping or other alternatives not feasible, and prior notice to the Air District. Allowed fires may burn only on permissive burn days, and hazard-reduction pile burns can't start before 9:30 a.m. [7]. For most homeowners, the practical alternative is the Woodside Fire Protection District's free neighborhood Chipper Program, which runs May through November [8].
Fire pits and recreational fires
A fire set for recreational purposes is exempt from the general ban [2]. Recreational fires include campfires, bonfires and handwarming fires that use only clean dry wood and fire starter [3]. Fires used only for cooking food are exempt too [5]. No recreational fire is allowed during a Mandatory Burn Ban (Spare the Air winter alerts) [4].
Fire district rules
The Woodside Fire Protection District enforces the fire code and its own fuel-mitigation ordinance (Ord. 24-01). We couldn't get the district's documents, so we can't confirm its rules on fire pits, red-flag days or burn permits. Check with the district before lighting any outdoor fire, especially during fire season.
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Next steps
- Don't burn brush or yard waste; use your yard-waste bin or the Woodside Fire Protection District Chipper Program (May-November).
- Before using a fire pit, check the Bay Area Air District's Spare the Air status for a Mandatory Burn Ban.
- Call the Woodside Fire Protection District (650-851-1594) about fire-pit rules, red-flag restrictions or any hazard-reduction burn.
Common questions
- Can I burn brush in Woodside, California?
- Generally no. Backyard brush and yard-waste burning is prohibited under the Bay Area Air District's Regulation 5. The narrow exception is fire-hazard clearing that a public fire official orders and allows. The Woodside Fire Protection District's free Chipper Program, May through November, is the practical alternative.
- Are fire pits allowed in Woodside, California?
- Yes, mostly. Recreational fires such as a fire pit or campfire using only clean dry wood and fire starter are exempt from the Air District's ban, except during a Mandatory Burn Ban. The Woodside Fire Protection District may add its own limits, so check with the district.
- Do I need a burn permit in Woodside, California?
- Ordinary yard-waste burning isn't allowed at all. Hazard-reduction burns need a fire official's approval, may burn only on permissive burn days, can't start before 9:30 a.m., and require prior notice to the Air District. Call the Woodside Fire Protection District about burn permits.
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
- BAAQMD Reg. 5, §5-301.1, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 6
A person shall not ignite, cause to be ignited, permit to be ignited, or suffer, allow, or maintain any fires within the District.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5, §5-112, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 3
5-112 Limited Exemption, Recreational Fires: A fire set for recreational purposes is exempt from the requirements of Section 301.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5, §5-223, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 6
5-223 Recreational Fires: A fire used for social, cultural or other activities including, but not limited to, campfires, bonfires, ceremonial fires, handwarming fires, raku or pit pottery curing fires, or fires conducted as part of an unusual event such as fire walking provided only clean dry wood and fire starter is used, and the activity is not part of a business for gainful occupation.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5, §5-302, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 6
No person shall ignite, cause to be ignited, permit to be ignited, or suffer, allow, or maintain any recreational fires during Mandatory Burn Ban periods, as defined in Regulation 6, Rule 3: Wood-Burning Devices, Section 6-3-301.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5, §5-110.1, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 3
110.1 Fires set only for cooking of food for human beings.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5, §5-401.6, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 8
The fire must be set or allowed by any public fire official having jurisdiction, in the performance of official duty. The fire must, in the opinion of such officer, be necessary, and the fire hazard not able to be abated by any other means.
- BAAQMD Reg. 5, §5-401.6.3, BAAQMD Regulation 5 - Open Burning (amended October 1, 2025), p. 8
No fires involving piled material shall be ignited or take place before 9:30 a.m. local time on any day.
- Town webpage: WFPD Chipper Program, Woodside Fire Protection District Fuel Mitigation Ordinance - Town webpage
The WFPD Chipper Program runs from May through November.