No-burn days in Orange County, California
Updated . By Landen Chu, Co-founder of OakTend. How we research
This is general information, not legal advice. South Coast AQMD, the air district for every city in Orange County, sets the rules.
When is no-burn season in Orange County?
South Coast AQMD runs its Check Before You Burn program from November through the end of February. It calls a no-burn day when fine particle pollution (PM2.5) is expected to reach unhealthy levels, which happens most on calm, cool winter days.
What is banned on a no-burn day?
Burning wood in a fireplace, a wood stove or an outdoor fire pit is banned for 24 hours.
Can I use a gas fireplace on a no-burn day?
Yes. Gas fireplaces are exempt. So are homes that rely on wood as their only source of heat, low-income households, and homes without natural gas service.
How do I check if today is a no-burn day?
- Look up your area on the Check Before You Burn map at aqmd.gov.
- Call 866-966-3293.
- Sign up for South Coast AQMD's Air Alerts, or get notices in the South Coast AQMD app.
Are you using your fireplace on the other days? Our fall home maintenance checklist covers the yearly chimney check, and the homeowner deadlines sheet puts this season next to the tax dates.
City pages: Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, or every city on the Orange County hub.
Sources
- South Coast AQMD: Check Before You Burn
From November through the end of February, a No-Burn day is a 24-hour ban on wood burning in residential fireplaces, stoves or outdoor fire pits, called when PM2.5 is expected to reach Unhealthy levels; gas fireplaces are exempt, as are homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low income households and those without natural gas service; check the map, call 866-966-3293, sign up for Air Alerts or use the South Coast AQMD app. - South Coast AQMD: jurisdiction
All 34 Orange County cities are listed among the incorporated cities in South Coast AQMD's jurisdiction. - South Coast AQMD newsletter, October to December 2025: Check Before You Burn
High fine particle pollution episodes are most common on calm and cool winter days; a No-Burn Day bans residential wood burning, including fireplaces, stoves and outdoor fire pits; gas fireplaces are exempt; call 866-966-3293. - South Coast AQMD: Check Before You Burn map
The agency's daily Check Before You Burn forecast map (opens South Coast AQMD's map viewer).