8 rules for unincorporated Calaveras County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Recreational fires for cooking are allowed under the Calaveras County APCD rules, but they must use only charcoal, untreated wood, or cooking fuels and burn cleanly. A CAL FIRE campfire permit is generally required outside organized campgrounds, and CAL FIRE may suspend all open flames during fire season.
Calaveras County is a severe-wildfire jurisdiction and has repeatedly banned all consumer fireworks in unincorporated areas through urgency ordinances. The Board of Supervisors banned the possession, sale, and use of fireworks countywide, including state-classified 'safe and sane' fireworks, leaving only permitted public displays authorized by the fire chief.
Because the unincorporated county sits in the State Responsibility Area with high fire hazard, property owners must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around buildings under California Public Resources Code 4291. CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit inspects and enforces, using a zone-based clearance approach.
Outdoor debris burning in unincorporated Calaveras County is tightly controlled by the APCD and CAL FIRE. Only natural vegetation may be burned, only on permissive burn days, only on the property where it originated. A CAL FIRE burn permit is required, and CAL FIRE routinely suspends all residential burning during fire season.
Most of unincorporated Calaveras County lies in the State Responsibility Area with High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. These designations trigger PRC 4291 defensible space, Chapter 7A wildfire-resistant building standards for new construction, and inspection/disclosure obligations enforced by CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit.
Smoke alarm requirements in unincorporated Calaveras County come from California law, not a special county ordinance. California Health & Safety Code 13113.7 requires State Fire Marshal-listed smoke alarms in every dwelling intended for human occupancy, and a related law requires carbon monoxide alarms in homes with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages.
Backyard fires in unincorporated Calaveras County fall into two buckets: small recreational cooking fires (allowed with conditions) and debris/burn-pile fires (tightly controlled). CAL FIRE requires permits for debris burning and limits piles to 4 ft by 4 ft with 10 feet of clearance and an attendant with water and a shovel.
Residential propane (LP-gas) tank placement in unincorporated Calaveras County follows NFPA 58, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code, as adopted through the California Fire Code. Separation distances from buildings and property lines scale with tank size; tanks 125-500 gallons must sit at least 10 feet away.
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