Burn Permit Requirements

The Prevention Division includes issuing burn permits, weed abatement and life safety inspections. 

Burn Area - Burn Permits are issued under specific restricted conditions, and in certain rural areas of River Delta Fire District Residents for property maintenance. The annual permit allows the burning of grass, tree trimmings, brush, and weeds only. A garden hose or two 2A-10BC fire extinguishers must be present.

Please Note: Once you have paid for your permit, refunds cannot be issued. Please verify that you are eligible for a burn permit prior to purchase. Having a big sale, on-site celebrity, or other event? Be sure to announce it so everybody knows and gets excited about it.

Burn Permit Fee -The fee for a burn permit is $20.00.  Burn permits are valid for a calendar year - from January 1 to December 31. 

Permit Approval - All permit requests will be verified prior to issuance. Once approved, you will receive your permit via email. Please allow 3 to 5 business days.

Agricultural Burning - Burn permits are not issued for agricultural burning. Large piles require a permit from the Sacramento County Agricultural Commission. Please contact them at (916) 777-8701.

• Burn permit must be presented to Fire Department staff upon request.
• Burning is to be done in a legal burn area as designated by Fire District policy.
• Burning must be located at least 100 feet from any structure with a wood shake roof on an adjacent property parcel.
• Burning without a permit, or violating any of the terms of the permit, is a misdemeanor. The burn permit does not exonerate or release the permittee from any liability, civil or criminal, and permittee may be held financially liable for violating the terms of the permit.
• Citizen complaints of nuisance smoke may be grounds for revoking the burn permit by the Sacramento Air Quality Management District.
• Contact the Fire Department at:  (916) 777-8701 prior to any burning.
• Burn hours are from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and only during the months of November, December, January, February, March, and April.
• No burning shall be done on days when wind speed is in excess of 10 miles per hour.
• Open Area burning hours are 10 a.m. - Noon during the months of May, June, July, August, September, and October, and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. during the months of November, December, January, February, March, and April.
• Permittee shall be in attendance at all times until fire is extinguished.
• Piles can be no larger than 5 feet by 5 feet wide, and 5 feet tall. A total of no more than 5 piles.
• Piles shall be arranged to facilitate efficient burning and shall be free of household trash, petroleum wastes, demolition debris, tires, tar, wood waste (painted or treated with preservatives), or other combustible or flammable solid or liquid waste. The burning of these materials is a violation of air pollution regulations and is subject to heavy penalties.
• Piles shall be free of moisture.
• The burn permit may be revoked or suspended for violation of any condition of said permit or when it is necessary for the protection of public health or safety.
• There shall be no combustible material within 30 feet of the burn site. Piles shall be a minimum of 30 feet apart.

Annual Weed Abatement Campaign
The River Delta Fire District prides itself on our continuing efforts to reduce fire risks in the Delta loop and community by conducting an annual weed abatement inspections each fire season. This inspection typically runs from April - October, with the Notice to Abate Weeds mailed to property owners during the month of April/May.

Ordinance Requirements
The Weed Abatement Ordinance requires parcels of 2 acres or less to have weeds cut no higher than 2 inches tall. Parcels larger than 2 acres must have a 30-foot fire break around all structures. For further details, please reference Weed Abatement Guidelines.

Reducing Fire Hazards
Please note: The goal of the River Delta Fire District is to reduce the risk of fire hazards only. Although some parcels may be unsightly, they might not constitute a fire hazard.

Fire hazards exist when overgrown weeds, brush, or trimmings are adjacent to, or could potentially threaten, structures such as dwellings, barns, storage buildings, or stored vehicles.

Complaint Submittal
All complaints to the Fire Prevention Division must be submitted on our Online Complaint Form.

On-Site Inspection
An on-site inspection will be conducted to determine if the parcel requires weed abatement in order to protect nearby structures or wooden fences from fire.

Due to laws prohibiting illegal searches, all weed violations must be visible from the street. The Fire Prevention Division will not climb or look over fences, nor enter a residence or backyard to confirm weed complaints.

If the site is determined to be a fire hazard, the owner/tenant will be required to abate the hazard by discing / mowing, providing defensible space, or clearing brush or trimmings. Please use equipment in a safe and responsible manner. 

Fire code enforcement services are divided into three areas, (1) Plan Review, (2) New Construction Inspections, (3) Existing Construction Inspections.  Our fire inspector review building, site and fire protection plans for compliance with local, state and national fire codes.  Once plans are approved, our fire inspector conducts on-site inspections during construction to ensure that the projects are constructed per the approved plans and in compliance with the fire codes.  Finally, our fire inspectors conduct annual fire safety inspections of business within the River Delta Fire District.  These inspections are meant to maintain a fire safe community!

Annual Fire Safety Inspections
Annual Fire Safety Inspections are completed by our on-duty fire crews.  Effective January 1, 2021 all annual fire safety inspections are completed using Streamline Inspections, a tablet based software.  As a business owner, you will receive by email (1) a fire safety inspection report, (2) any issued operational permits, and (3) an invoice in a separate email from Fire Recovery USA.  You are now able to self-correct any violations found during your fire inspection using the "Self-Certify" link in the email.  Self-Certify.

During annual fire safety inspections, fire inspectors look for numerous items that affect the overall safety of a business. We train our inspectors to do more than just report the problem, but to become part of the solution and offer suggestions on how to correct an unsafe situation. Some common items checked during a fire safety inspection include:

1. Exit doors
2. Fire extinguishers
3. Sprinkler, fire alarm and hood suppression system maintenance
4. Extension cords and multi-plug adapters
5. Clearance of combustibles from:
   ​a. Electrical panels
   b. Ceiling
   c. Heating equipment
6. Visibility of address signs​
7. Exit signs and emergency lights