How Prescribed Burns are Reviewed and Authorized
Learn about how the Air District regulates prescribed burns.
Prescribed burns require close partnership and advanced planning and coordination among the Air District, the burn operator, CAL FIRE and/or the local fire agency, and other participating organizations. Each agency has different responsibilities and authority.
The Air District reviews smoke management plans, evaluates weather and air quality conditions before and during a burn, determines whether to authorize a burn, and shares information with the public about planned fires and potential impacts from smoke.
In general, conditions that are more favorable for prescribed burning include:
- Adequate atmospheric mixing that allows smoke to rise and disperse rather than settle near the ground.
- Light to moderate winds from a steady direction that transport smoke away from populated areas.
- Pre-existing air quality that is Good to Moderate and free of wildfire smoke.
- Fuels that are sufficiently dry, as wet fuels produce more smoke when burned.
Before a Prescribed Burn: Review and Approval Process
The Air District regulates all prescribed burning within its jurisdiction under Regulation 5: Open Burning. To confirm whether specific conditions are satisfied, the Air District uses a multi-layered review and approval process to keep prescribed burning both possible and responsive to air quality conditions:
- Smoke Management Plan (SMP): At least 30 days before a planned burn, the burn operator must submit a detailed SMP through the State’s Prescribed Fire Information Reporting System (PFIRS). The SMP must include the proposed acreage, and the weather conditions needed for adequate smoke dispersal. The Air District must review and approve the SMP before a burn can be scheduled.
- Fire safety approval: Separately, a burn operator must obtain a burn permit from CAL FIRE and/or the local fire agency with jurisdiction. This permit must be made available to the Air District to review on request.
- Several days before a burn: Starting four days before a planned burn, Air District meteorologists coordinate daily with partner agencies on expected weather and air quality conditions, favorability for burn authorization, and forecast confidence.
- Daily open burn status and air quality forecast: Even with an approved SMP, a burn can only take place on a day that the Air District allows open burning. For each day, Air District meteorologists evaluate forecasted weather conditions, such as wind speed and direction, temperature, and atmospheric stability, to predict how well smoke will disperse. Open burning is allowed only when conditions favor sufficient dispersion. Open burning is prohibited when smoke is likely to build up, or if conditions are unsafe for any fire activity. Additionally, with limited exceptions, prescribed burns are not permitted if the Air District has issued a Spare the Air Alert or an Air Quality Advisory for Smoke.
- Day-before authorization: The day before a planned burn, the land or fire manager must request burn authorization through PFIRS. The Air District responds with a go/no-go decision, an acreage or pile allocation, and a confidence rating (high, medium, or low) on whether the expected weather conditions will hold.
- Day-of acreage allocation: On the morning of an authorized burn, the Air District allocates the number of acres (or piles) that can be burned.
This layered process reflects a balance in providing land and fire managers time to plan prescribed burns while maintaining the Air District’s final approval authority based on updated weather and air quality conditions.
During and After a Prescribed Burn
Burn operators check weather conditions and fire and smoke behavior throughout a burn. The Air District evaluates weather and air monitoring data and stays in close contact with participating agencies and burn operators. Air District staff also attend certain prescribed burns to observe smoke behavior and collaborate with partner agencies on the ground.
If conditions become unfavorable during an active burn, actions may include:
- Slowing or stopping additional ignition(s)
- Reducing the acreage to be burned
- Allowing active fire to reach established control lines
- Beginning fire suppression or more intensive mop-up to extinguish the fire more quickly
- Providing public information updates as conditions change
Stopping ignition and beginning fire suppression does not immediately eliminate smoke. Fuels may continue to smolder and produce smoke, and shifting winds can transport residual smoke into neighboring communities. Therefore, authorization of a prescribed burn is not a guarantee that smoke will stay away from every community.
Following a prescribed burn, burn operators report the total acreage (or piles) burned and complete a post-burn evaluation.
More Information on Burn Procedures and Status
Last Updated: 2026/10/14