Wood Burning

The Air District's Wood-Burning Rule sets restrictions on wood burning throughout the Bay Area. (For possible exemptions from the rule, please review this Exemption Guidance Document.)

Residents should make themselves familiar with these requirements before lighting their fireplaces, woodstoves, or other wood-burning devices:

  

Residents and business owners who own or use any indoor or outdoor fireplace, fire pit, or wood or pellet stove must:

• Check before burning from November through February. If air pollution levels are forecast to be unhealthy, the Air District will issue a Winter Spare the Air Alert, which bans wood burning both indoors and outdoors.
• Refrain from burning wood, firelogs, or pellets when a Winter Spare the Air Alert is issued. This applies to households and businesses with fireplaces or other wood-burning devices, such as hotels and restaurants. It is okay to use gas-fueled fireplaces and logs, gas inserts, or electrical fireplaces.
• Never burn any garbage, plastics, wrapping paper, or other inappropriate materials.
• Burn cleanly when burning is allowed. Burn only clean, dry wood in short, hot fires with plenty of air, in order to prevent dirty smoke from chimneys or flues.

 

Manufacturers, sellers, re-sellers, and installers of wood-burning devices must:

• Sell or install only EPA-certified wood-burning and pellet-fueled devices for use within the Air District. Gas-fueled fireplaces and logs, gas inserts, and electrical fireplaces are okay. (There is no requirement for owners to replace existing fireplaces or woodstoves when a house or property is sold or transferred.)
• Provide information to purchasers on proper installation, operation, and maintenance of the wood-burning device and on the health effects of wood smoke, such as this point of purchase flier.
• Provide documentation to purchasers that any wood-burning device sold is EPA-certified.

 

Builders of homes or commercial buildings must:

• Install only EPA-certified wood-burning or pellet-fueled devices in any new building construction. Gas-fueled fireplaces and logs, gas inserts, and electrical fireplaces are okay.
• Provide information on proper installation, operation, and maintenance of the wood-burning device and on the health effects of wood smoke.

 

Manufacturers of solid fuels such as pressed or manufactured logs or pellet fuels must:

• Label the product package with information about burning curtailment, reminding the purchaser to check the Winter Spare the Air Alert status before burning.  Here is the most recent information about the labeling requirement.

 

Suppliers of firewood must label their package with, or provide upon delivery, the following information:

• Whether the wood is:
  - “Seasoned” (dry), if the moisture content is less than 20 percent, or
  - “Unseasoned” (green), if the moisture content is greater than 20 percent, and provide instructions on how to properly dry the wood before burning.
• Information about burning curtailment, reminding the purchaser to check the Winter Spare the Air Alert status before burning, such as this point of purchase flier.
• Here is the most recent information about the labeling requirement.