6 rules for unincorporated El Dorado County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Recreational fire pits for cooking and warming on your own property in unincorporated El Dorado County generally do not require a CAL FIRE campfire permit, but they must comply with California Fire Code Section 307 setbacks (25 ft from structures and combustibles for open recreational fires, or 15 ft for portable outdoor fireplaces), the El Dorado County AQMD burn-day rules if burning solid fuels, and El Dorado County Chapter 8.09 defensible-space requirements. Propane and natural-gas fire pits are exempt from the AQMD burn-day rule.
El Dorado County Fire Protection District - Burn Permits guidance
Campfire Permits for the purposes of cooking and warming are not required on your own property. In Placerville specifically, open campfires are not permitted during fire season. Fires during this time are only allowed in a fireplace, permanent barbecue, portable barbecue, outdoor fireplace, incinerator or grill.
All fireworks - including California State Fire Marshal-classified 'Safe and Sane' devices - are illegal to possess, sell, use, or discharge anywhere in unincorporated El Dorado County. The prohibition is set by El Dorado County Code Chapter 8.08 (Fire Prevention) and is reinforced by California Health & Safety Code Section 12541, which leaves the regulation of fireworks to local ordinance.
California Health & Safety Code Section 12541
Nothing in this part authorizes the sale, use, or discharge of fireworks in any city, county, or city and county in which the sale, use, or discharge is otherwise prohibited or regulated by law or ordinance.
El Dorado County requires 100 feet of defensible space around every habitable structure under Chapter 8.09 of the County Code (Ordinance 5186, adopted July 16, 2024), aligned with California Public Resources Code Section 4291 and 14 CCR Section 1299. Defensible space is split into Zone 1 (0-30 feet, 'lean and green') and Zone 2 (30-100 feet, reduced fuel). Additional clearance up to 300 feet may be required where steep terrain, weather, structure age, road access, or vegetation warrants. Inspections are performed by CAL FIRE, the local fire protection district, or El Dorado County Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience.
Outdoor burning of vegetative debris in unincorporated El Dorado County requires (1) a free CAL FIRE residential burn permit obtained at burnpermit.fire.ca.gov, (2) verification with the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District (AQMD) that it is a 'permissible burn day' (call 530-621-5897 or 866-621-5897), and (3) compliance with strict pile-size, clearance, and attendance rules. Piles larger than 4 ft x 4 ft require an additional AQMD permit. Burn barrels are illegal countywide.
Georgetown Fire Protection District / El Dorado County AQMD burn-permit conditions
Burn only dry, natural vegetation, grown on the property in open piles. Burning trash, garbage, plastic, and treated lumber is prohibited per El Dorado County Air Quality Management District rules. Clear all flammable material and vegetation within 10 feet of the outer edge of pile and down to the bare earth. Maximum pile size 4 foot in diameter. Burning can only be done on permissive burn days.
Most of unincorporated El Dorado County sits within a CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area, and large portions are mapped as High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ). The County adopted updated FHSZ maps consistent with CAL FIRE's statewide remap. Properties in High and Very High FHSZ are subject to: 100-foot defensible space under Chapter 8.09 of the County Code, Chapter 7A fire-resistant construction standards (California Building Code), AB 38 defensible space inspections at sale, and additional access, water supply, and fuel modification requirements under the County's Fire Safe Regulations and Title 130 Zoning. Recent fires include the King, Caldor, and Mosquito fires.
Backyard burning of vegetative debris in unincorporated El Dorado County requires a free CAL FIRE residential burn permit, an AQMD-declared permissible burn day, a maximum 4-foot diameter pile, a 10-foot bare-soil clearance, and an adult attendant. Property owners must also maintain a minimum 100-foot defensible space around all structures under El Dorado County Code Chapter 8.09 (Ordinance 5186) and California Public Resources Code Section 4291, with additional clearance up to 300 feet possible.
El Dorado County Code Subsections 8.09.070(D)(1) and 8.09.070(D)(3) (Ordinance 5186, adopted July 16, 2024)
Maintain Defensible Space as described in California Code of Regulations Title 14, Division 1.5, Chapter 7, Subchapter 3, Section 1299.03, as amended, and as otherwise described by this Chapter, which is adjacent to each side of a building or Structure, but not beyond the property line except as provided in this Chapter, and must be cleared of Hazardous Vegetation, or Combustible Material, as s...
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