1. 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. The operation or maintenance of a system for the delivery of water for the purposes specified in subdivision (a).
3. Wildland vegetation management burning.
   1. For purposes of this subdivision, 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.
   2. For purposes of this subdivision, prescribed burning is the planned application and confinement of fire to wildland fuels on lands selected in advance of that application to achieve any of the following objectives:
      1. Prevention of high-intensity wildland fires through reduction of the volume and continuity of wildland fuels.
      2. Watershed management.
      3.  Range improvement.
      4. Vegetation management.
      5. Forest improvement.
      6. Wildlife habitat improvement.
      7. Air quality maintenance.
   3.  The planned application of fire may include natural or accidental ignition.

(Note: this definition is taken from California Health & Safety Code §39011.)

Open outdoor fire –  any combustion of combustible material of any type outdoors in the open, not in any enclosure, where the products of combustion are not directed through a flue. (This definition is taken from California Health & Safety Code §39044.)

Open burning in agricultural operations – in the growing of crops or raising of fowl or animals:

1. The burning in the open of materials produced wholly from operations in the growing and harvesting of crops or raising of fowl or animals for the primary purpose of making a profit, or I providing livelihood, or conducting agricultural research or instruction by an educational institution; and
2.  In connection with operations under Subdivision I:
   1. The burning of grass and weeds in or adjacent to fields in cultivation or being prepared for cultivation; and
   2. The burning of material not produced wholly from such operations, but which are intimately related to the growing or harvesting of crops and which are used in the field, such as fertilizer and pesticide sacks or containers, where the sacks or containers are emptied and burned in the field.

(From Rule 102 (opens in a new tab).)

Air Pollution Control District Rules

302 Visible Emissions (opens in a new tab)
303 Nuisance (opens in a new tab)
312 Open Fires (opens in a new tab)
313 Fire set Under Public Authority (opens in a new tab)
401 Agricultural and Prescribed Burning (opens in a new tab)
402 Enforcement (opens in a new tab)
403 Burning Permit for Non-Burning Days: Report Requirements (opens in a new tab)

Note: additional state and federal rules may apply.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Burn Permit Instructions (opens in a new tab)

California Health & Safety Code

41700 – 41712 (opens in a new tab) – prohibits discharge of certain air contaminants, and governs visible emissions.

41850 – 41866 (opens in a new tab) – allows agricultural burning to be reasonably regulated but not prohibited.

41800-41815 (opens in a new tab)– governs non-agricultural burning of waste

California Code of Regulations

Tit. 17, Section 80210 (opens in a new tab) – California Air Resources Board to designate permissive Burn Days based on meteorological conditions