This information is specific to Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NSCAPCD) which is the air quality jurisdiction for Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District. 

Step 1 - Build the Pile 

1. Allow cut vegetation to cure, ideally more than 60 days. Cured vegetation ignites easier, creates less smoke, and burns quicker.
2. Burning during or after rain reduces the size of the flames and the risk of an “escape” (fire that spreads beyond the pile). To keep your pile dry, consider covering a portion of the pile with wax paper. You can also use a tarp or piece of plastic instead of wax paper, but it must be removed before burning. 
3. The legal residential burn pile size is 4 feet diameter and 4 feet tall. You can add to the pile as it burns.
4. Place your piles at least 15 feet from any structures.
5. Build piles on the flattest ground possible. If you must build on a hill, dig a “roll out” trench just below it, so that hot coals or logs will be caught before rolling downhill.
6. Place the largest logs on the bottom, with sticks, leaves and small logs in the center to create an area that will easily ignite, and medium-sized logs and branches on the top.
7. Clear dead and dry vegetation, including grass, around the pile.
8. Place your piles away from the base of trees you don’t want damaged by the pile. As heat rises, branches directly above the pile may sustain heat damage and moss or dead branches could ignite. Consider removing branches above the pile or place the pile in a different location.
9. Do not add non-vegetative materials to your pile such as trash or treated wood. 

Step 2 - Get Air Quality Permit

An air quality permit is required year-round for all types of burning except campfires. Obtain your air quality permit at the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District website. 

Step 3 - Get Burn Permit

1. A CAL FIRE Burn Permit is only needed in State Responsibility Area (SRA). Determine if you are in SRA or Local Responsibility Area (LRA) by using the State Responsibility Area Viewer site.  SRA is generally the mountainous terrain and not the valley floors. An air quality permit serves as a burn permit in LRA.
2. CAL FIRE burn permits are only required between May 1 and the end of declared fire season (usually November or December). 
3. Apply for a CAL FIRE Burn Permit at the CAL FIRE Burn Permit website. 
4. CAL FIRE usually issues a “burn permit suspension” which may also be referred to as a “burn ban” during the summer and fall of each year. The County of Sonoma also issues a similar suspension for LRA. These two burn permit suspensions prohibit most types of burning by not allowing permits to be issued and suspending permits that have been issued.

Step 4 - Checklist for Burn Day

1. Call the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District at 707-565-2876 to determine if it’s a permissible burn day. 
2. Follow all instructions on your air quality permit including required notifications.
3. Follow all instructions on your CAL FIRE burn permit (if applicable).
4. Be prepared to cancel or extinguish your burn if it is not a permissible day or if the weather, especially winds, change suddenly. Never burn if weather conditions are unsafe. Ideal conditions are when weather is cool, damp, not windy, and surrounding vegetation is moist to the touch.
5. Wear appropriate clothing, such as leather work boots, cotton pants, long sleeve natural fiber shirt, leather gloves and eye protection. Avoid synthetic materials that may melt and cause injuries.
6. Monitor your smoke and consider not burning if your smoke is not dispersing.
7. Have a water source and shovel.
8. Maintain attendance. 

Step 5 - Extinguish Burn Pile

1. Let the pile burn down to ash or coal. Move smoldering logs and coal toward the center with a metal rake or a shovel to speed up the burn-down process.
2. Fully extinguish the burn pile if warm or windy conditions are forecasted. Douse the pile with water while stirring with a shovel. It may take between 50 to 100 gallons of water, but aggressive stirring significantly reduces the total amount of water needed. If you have partially burned logs, scrape the burning material from the log with a shovel or other hand tool. You can chop up, scrape and mix the burning material with water or dirt. Covering hot logs with wet dirt is a great way to increase the effectiveness of water. The pile is fully extinguished when the ashes and coals at the bottom of the pile are completely cold to the touch of your ungloved hand.
3. Check the burn area once on the night of the burn day and the following day, as needed, preferably before the hottest part of the day.
4. If you are unable to check, ask a neighbor or hire help to check.
5. Perform extra patrols including during the night during windy or dry conditions.