Agricultural Burn Information

Alternatives to Burning

When managing vineyard debris from pruning and vineyard removals, consider these alternatives to burning:

  • Chipping/grinding plant material and disking into soil, or  
  • Chipping/grinding plant material for composting on-site or at a facility licensed to conduct composting, or
  • Removing all waste material and transporting to a licensed facility capable of handling it properly.

Burn Notification Form Submission

If you choose to burn, you must notify the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) online or by submitting the Open Burn Form via mail or e-mail.  BAAQMD no longer receives notification via fax.  The appropriate fees must be paid to BAAQMD prior to burning.  Please visit the BAAQMD webpage for information on open burning and fire types.  Typically, grape growers conduct crop replacement or pruning attrition burns.

Growers must evaluate the conditions at each burn site relative to proper burn pile preparation, wind speed and direction, potential inversion layers, and other possible factors to conduct a burn with minimal impact to the environment and those people on surrounding properties. Even if the BAAQMD considers it a permissive burn day, burns should not be initiated until all conditions are assessed so the burn will have the least amount of adverse impacts as possible.

Grape Growers Logo Opens in new window Please visit the Napa Valley Grapegrowers webpage for information on their Vineyard Burning Task Force. To conduct the most efficient burn with the lowest production of smoke possible, follow the NVG pamphlets on Best Practices for Low Smoke Agricultural Burning which are available in English and Spanish. 

The Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office may approve the burning of plant material for the control of certain pests and diseases during that time of year when open burning is not normally allowed by BAAQMD. Please contact our office for assistance.

Additional Notification

Growers are also required to contact Cal Fire prior to burning by calling the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit at 707-967-1400 during normal business hours, or 707-963-4112 after hours.