San Leandro Burn Bans Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

San Leandro is located within the jurisdiction of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), which regulates air quality across the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. BAAQMD's Winter Spare the Air program is the primary burn ban mechanism affecting San Leandro residents. The program operates from November through February each year, during which BAAQMD meteorologists monitor weather and air quality forecasts daily and declare Spare the Air alerts when fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations are forecast to exceed the federal health standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

On a Spare the Air day, the following are prohibited throughout BAAQMD's jurisdiction, including all of San Leandro: burning wood, manufactured fire logs, pellets, or any other solid fuel in indoor fireplaces; operating non-EPA-certified wood stoves and fireplace inserts; burning wood or manufactured logs in outdoor fire pits, chimineas, and recreational fire features; and operating outdoor wood-fired pizza ovens, smokers, and similar wood-burning cooking devices. The prohibition applies 24 hours a day on each declared Spare the Air day.

Exemptions from the Spare the Air wood-burning ban include: gas and propane fireplaces, fire pits, and fire tables; EPA-certified wood stoves and pellet stoves that are the sole source of heat for a residence (this exemption is narrow and requires that the home have no other functional heating system); and cooking devices using gas, propane, or electricity. Charcoal barbecue grills used solely for outdoor cooking are also exempt from the Spare the Air restriction, though they remain subject to local fire code placement requirements.

Separately from the seasonal Spare the Air program, BAAQMD Regulation 5 (Open Burning) prohibits the open burning of yard waste, leaves, brush, agricultural waste, construction debris, trash, and all other materials within the urbanized Bay Area, including San Leandro, at all times without exception. There are no residential burn permits available for open burning within San Leandro. This is a year-round prohibition, not a seasonal one. Disposal of yard waste must use the City's green waste collection program operated by Alameda County Industries (ACI).

The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD), which provides fire services to San Leandro under contract, enforces local fire code provisions regarding outdoor burning and may respond to reports of illegal fires. ACFD may also issue fire weather advisories during periods of high wind, low humidity, and elevated fire danger, during which all outdoor recreational fires — including gas fire pits — may be restricted regardless of the Spare the Air status.

BAAQMD enforcement of Spare the Air violations is conducted through a complaint-based system. Residents can report violations by calling 1-877-4NO-BURN (1-877-466-2876) or filing an online complaint. BAAQMD inspectors may respond to complaints and verify violations through observation of visible smoke or chimney emissions. Fines are civil penalties assessed directly by BAAQMD, separate from any city or fire department enforcement actions.

San Leandro's East Bay location means it is particularly vulnerable to winter air quality stagnation events. The topography of the East Bay — with hills to the east and the Bay to the west — can trap cold air and pollutants in a temperature inversion layer, causing PM2.5 concentrations to build rapidly. Multiple Spare the Air days in succession are common during cold, still weather patterns in December and January.