Earlier editions: 2026-09
Truckee Municipal Code Ch. 7.03 Solid Fuel Burning Appliances
Truckee Municipal Code · 2026-10 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · Truckee
Cite as: Truckee Municipal Code Chapter 7.03 · Text as of 2026-10-04
7.03.010 - Purpose of Chapter.¶
The Town Council hereby finds that:
(1) The Truckee Particulate Matter Air Quality Management Plan was adopted on July 15, 1999, which recognized the severity of particulate matter pollution in the Town and its environs and the urgency for reducing particulate matter emissions; and
(2) The air quality management plan documents the adverse health and environmental effects that particulate matter has on the residents and visitors of the Town; and
(3) A key control strategy of the air quality management plan is to limit emissions from solid fuel burning appliances and total emissions from a residential unit, such that emission limits from appliances shall not exceed the emission requirements for an EPA-certified Phase II solid fuel burning appliance and total emissions of PM10 from a residential unit shall not exceed the following limits:
| Device type | Required as of May 15, 2015 | Required as of May 15, 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Solid fuel burning appliance, heater or pellet fueled wood heater | 4.5 grams per hour for catalytic and non-catalytic devices | 2.0 grams per hour for catalytic and non-catalytic devices, if emissions are tested using cribs (if tested with cord wood, the limit is 2.5 grams per hour) |
| Wood-fired hydronic heater | .32 pounds per million btu heat output | .10 pounds per million btu heat output (if tested with cord wood, the limit is .15 pounds per million btu heat output) |
| Wood-fired forced-air furnaces | .93 pounds per million btu heat output | .15 pounds per million btu heat output. |
(4) Accordingly, the Town Council finds that the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents of, persons employed in, and persons who frequent this Town would be benefited by the regulation of emissions from solid fuel burning appliances.
(Ord. No. 2025-08, § 1(Exh. A), 1-13-2026)
7.03.020 - Installation of Solid Fuel Burning Appliances.¶
(a) No solid fuel burning appliance shall be permitted to be installed within the Town unless the solid fuel burning appliance is:
(1) An EPA Certified Appliance meeting the emission requirements for Phase II certification;
(2) An EPA Certified pellet fueled wood heater;
(3) An open masonry fireplace supplied with gas and fitted with artificial logs;
(4) One open masonry fireplace located in a hotel/motel lobby or similar common area lobby or in the common area of a condominium project; or
(5) A zero clearance fireplace that is not an EPA Certified Appliance and is approved for use by the San Luis Obispo Air Pollution Control District as shown on their most current "List of APCD-Approved Woodburning Devices."
(b) There shall be no combination of solid fuel burning appliances and/or pellet fueled wood heaters within a dwelling unit or within a business that will exceed 7.5 grams per hour of particulate matter emissions except for one fireplace located in a hotel/motel lobby or similar common area lobby. Notwithstanding the emission restrictions of this subsection, an existing solid fuel burning appliance may be replaced with an EPA Certified Appliance meeting the emission requirements for Phase II certification.
(c) Solid fuel burning appliances shall not be the primary form of heat in any new construction.
(d) A new or replacement solid fuel burning appliance, including previously used appliances, shall not be installed without first obtaining a building permit from the Town. All installations shall require an inspection and approval by the Building and Safety Division prior to operation.
(e) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, supply, or install a used solid fuel burning appliance which has been removed from its dwelling unit or commercial or industrial building unless the appliance has been rendered permanently inoperable or unless it is:
(1) An EPA Certified Appliance meeting the emission requirements for Phase II certification; or
(2) A pellet fueled wood heater.
This regulation does not prohibit the sale of any solid fuel burning appliance which is transferred as an appurtenance to a dwelling unit or commercial or industrial building in compliance with this title.
(f) Verification of compliance may be certified by an inspector of the Building and Safety Division, by an individual certified by the Wood Heating Education and Research Foundation for the installation of solid fuel appliances, or by individuals possessing equivalent certification. The inspector of record shall verify in writing that the appliance complies with the required emission standards and shall file that certification with the Town. Inspectors independent of the Town shall verify their qualifications with the Chief Building Official before appliance certification will be accepted by the Town.
(Ord. No. 2025-08, § 1(Exh. A), 1-13-2026)
7.03.030 - Prohibited Materials.¶
It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or allow any of the following materials to be burned in a solid fuel burning appliance:
(a) Garbage;
(b) Treated wood;
(c) Plastic products;
(d) Rubber products;
(e) Waste petroleum;
(f) Paints and paint solvents;
(g) Coal having a sulfur content of more than 0.5 percent by weight as measured by ASTM Test Method D3177-84.
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