California Air Resources Board

Agricultural burning involves open burning of vegetative materials produced from growing and harvesting of crops. It includes the burning of grass and weeds in fence rows, ditch banks and berms in no-till orchard operations; the burning of fields being prepared for cultivation; the burning of agricultural wastes; and the operation or maintenance of a system for the delivery of water for agricultural operations.

Agricultural burning is defined in Health and Safety Code section 39011 as follows:

(1) Open outdoor fires used in agricultural operations in the growing of crops or raising of fowl or animals, or open outdoor fires used in forest management, range improvement, or the improvement of land for wildlife and game habitat, or disease or pest prevention.

(2) Open outdoor fires used in the operation or maintenance of a system for the delivery of water for the purposes specified in paragraph (1).

(3) Open outdoor fires used in wildland vegetation management burning. Wildland vegetation management burning is the use of prescribed burning conducted by a public agency, or through a cooperative agreement or contract involving a public agency, to burn land predominantly covered with chaparral, trees, grass, or standing brush. Prescribed burning is the planned application of fire to vegetation to achieve any specific objective on lands selected in advance of that application. The planned application of fire may also include natural or accidental ignition.