8 rules for unincorporated Del Norte County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Small recreational fires and backyard fire pits are generally allowed in unincorporated Del Norte County without an air-district burn permit, but they must be attended, controlled, and managed under California Fire Code and CAL FIRE rules. During declared fire season in the State Responsibility Area, CAL FIRE may restrict or suspend open flames.
In October 2024 the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors adopted the county's first-ever fireworks ordinance, creating administrative penalties for possessing, using, selling, or displaying dangerous fireworks that are already illegal under California law, and banning ALL fireworks — including state-approved 'Safe and Sane' items — in county campgrounds and parks.
Property owners with structures in the State Responsibility Area of unincorporated Del Norte County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around buildings under California Public Resources Code Section 4291. This includes a near-zone of intensive vegetation management and an outer reduced-fuel zone. CAL FIRE conducts inspections, especially in the inland Smith River canyon and Siskiyou foothills.
Open burning of yard vegetation in unincorporated Del Norte County is regulated by the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District. A burn permit is required, only dry natural vegetation may be burned (no trash or lumber), burning is allowed only on declared permissive burn days during morning hours, and a CAL FIRE permit also applies in the State Responsibility Area.
Most unincorporated Del Norte County is in a CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area with mapped Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The wet redwood coast is lower risk, but the inland Smith River canyon and Siskiyou foothills are high-hazard. Properties in these zones face 100-foot defensible-space rules and, for new construction, Wildland-Urban Interface building standards.
Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm requirements in unincorporated Del Norte County come from California state law, not a special county ordinance. Every dwelling must have State Fire Marshal-approved smoke alarms, and homes with a fossil-fuel appliance or attached garage must have carbon monoxide alarms. Required at sale and in rentals.
There are two different kinds of backyard fire in unincorporated Del Norte County. Small recreational fires (warmth, cooking) need no air-district permit but must be attended and safe. Burning vegetation piles for disposal requires a North Coast Unified AQMD burn permit, a CAL FIRE permit in the State Responsibility Area, and a declared permissive burn day.
Residential propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Del Norte County follows the California Fire Code and NFPA 58. Tanks must meet minimum setbacks from buildings and property lines, may not be stored in basements or below-grade spaces, and larger tanks require permits. In the State Responsibility Area, defensible-space clearance around tanks also applies.
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