Valley Air Tightens Wood-Burning Rules for Winter
Five San Joaquin Valley counties will align wood-burning curtailment levels with Madera, Fresno, and Kern counties this winter season.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Asthma
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The Valley Air District is reminding residents to reduce residential wood burning during the Residential Wood Smoke Reduction season, which runs from November 1 through the end of February. Curtailment levels in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Kings, and Tulare counties will align with Madera, Fresno, and Kern counties, with incentive levels matching across all eight counties.
Why it matters
Residential wood burning is a significant source of wintertime emissions that directly affects air quality in the region. Residents in the affected counties face new daily restrictions that depend on the next day's air quality forecast.
The Residential Wood Smoke Reduction season runs from November 1 through the end of February across eight Valley counties, with curtailment levels changing in five of them to match Madera, Fresno, and Kern. The district has not stated how many restricted days to expect or the emissions reduction the alignment is projected to deliver.
The players
Valley Air District
The Valley Air District is the regional air quality regulator for California's San Joaquin Valley, responsible for issuing wood-burning declarations and enforcing residential burning restrictions.
The details
The District issues a daily wood-burning declaration for each county based on the next day's air quality forecast, with three levels: Burning Discouraged, No Burning Unless Registered, and No Burning For All. Residents can check declarations at valleyair.org/burnstatus, in the Valley Air app, or by calling 1-800-SMOG-INFO (1-800-766-4463), and some homes are exempt from the restrictions.
Timeline
November 1: Residential Wood Smoke Reduction season begins.
End of February: Residential Wood Smoke Reduction season ends.
This winter season: Curtailment and incentive level alignment across eight counties takes effect.
Big Picture
The alignment extends the District's Fireplace & Woodstove Change-Out program across eight counties, as incentive levels now match in every county from Kern to San Joaquin. Curtailment levels for five counties are being brought into line with Madera, Fresno, and Kern, unifying the valley's wood-burning rules.
Check the daily county declaration at valleyair.org/burnstatus or in the Valley Air app before lighting a fire, and use only clean, seasoned, dry firewood on days marked Burning Discouraged. Burning trash is illegal, and on No Burning For All days no solid fuel, including manufactured logs, may be burned from midnight to midnight.
The takeaway
Checking the daily declaration before lighting a fire is the simplest way to stay compliant and protect local air quality this winter. Exempt homes should still follow the outdoor device rules that apply regardless of exemption status.
Further reading
Explore more on Asthma and how seasonal wood smoke affects respiratory health across California.
More information
Check today's status at the daily county wood-burning declaration lookup on the Valley Air District website.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Turlockjournal.
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