Fire Regulations in El Dorado County, CA (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated El Dorado County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
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.
Fire Pit Rules: 10 ft Clearance + Defensible Space Required
Some RestrictionsEl 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.
Fireworks
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.
All Fireworks Illegal in Unincorporated El Dorado County
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia 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.
Brush Clearance
Beyond the 100-foot structure clearance, Section 8.09.070(D)(6)-(7) requires anyone who owns, leases or maintains a parcel to keep ladder fuels cleared at least ten feet beyond the edge of every driveway and road on improved or unimproved land when the Investigative Official flags a fire-hazard condition.
El Dorado County Driveway and Road Fuel Clearance
Some RestrictionsEl Dorado County Code § 8.09.070(D)(6)(a)
6.Clearance Along Driveways. The responsible person shall at all times maintain clearance along all driveways to be necessary for the safe ingress and egress of emergency vehicles. If the current condition of fuels along the driveway of the parcel, improved or unimproved, is determined by the Investigative Official to be a fire hazard which must be treated or abated, the responsible person shal...
Outdoor Burning
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.
Outdoor Burning: CAL FIRE Permit + AQMD Burn Day Required
Some RestrictionsGeorgetown 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.
Wildfire Zones
El Dorado County has formally adopted the State Fire Marshal's 2023 State Responsibility Area and 2025 Local Responsibility Area maps, designating unincorporated land as Moderate, High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under Sections 8.08.100 and 8.08.200.
El Dorado County Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Some RestrictionsEl Dorado County Code § 8.08.100
Sec. 8.08.100. - State Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map. In accordance with the 2023 State Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map, as designated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, certain areas within the County of El Dorado are designated as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. This map is published and available through the Office of th...
Propane Storage
In El Dorado County's heavy snow-load areas, every new or reconnected propane installation needs a two-stage regulator system, protected risers, and snow stakes marking the tank, plus a three-copy plot plan filed with the building permit. Appliances cannot be installed below the first floor or below grade.
El Dorado County LPG Tank Installation Rules
Some RestrictionsEl Dorado County Code § 110.16.150
Facilities in snow-load areas. This subsection shall apply in snow-load areas of 100 pounds or more, to all new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) installations... Two stage regulator systems shall be installed on all LPG installations... The riser from the yard piping shall be located not more than 12 inches (horizontally) from the walls of the tank... Propane appliances and accessories shall not b...
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