8 rules for unincorporated Inyo County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Recreational fires in a fireplace, barbecue, or fire pit are allowed in unincorporated Inyo County under Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) Rule 406, provided the material burned is free of household, municipal, and industrial waste such as tires, tar, plastics, and wet wood. CAL FIRE and local fire agencies may impose seasonal restrictions.
GBUAPCD Rule 406(K) - Open Outdoor Fires (adopted 01/21/76, rev. 09/24/03)
Recreational or ceremonial fires contained in a fireplace, barbeque, or fire pit, provided material burned is free of household, municipal, and industrial waste, such as: tires, tar, plastics and wet wood.
Inyo County has no countywide ban on state-approved 'safe and sane' fireworks. California Health & Safety Code Section 12500+ governs: only fireworks approved and labeled 'safe and sane' by the State Fire Marshal are legal; all 'dangerous fireworks' (firecrackers, skyrockets, Roman candles, bottle rockets) are illegal statewide. Fireworks are separately prohibited in all county parks and campgrounds.
Property owners in the State Responsibility Area of unincorporated Inyo County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around buildings under California Public Resources Code Section 4291, enforced by CAL FIRE. Clearance extends to the property line where it is less than 100 feet. Inyo's Eastern Sierra foothills include Fire Hazard Severity Zones where this requirement applies.
California Public Resources Code Section 4291(a)(1)-(2)
Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph (B). ... Fuels shall be maintained and spaced in a condition so that a wildfire would be unlikely to ignite the structure.
Open burning of refuse in unincorporated Inyo County is generally prohibited under GBUAPCD Rule 406. Limited residential burning of dry natural vegetation is allowed only on a 'burn day' declared by the California Air Resources Board AND with a valid burn permit from the local fire agency. Burning trash, garbage, and industrial waste is never allowed.
GBUAPCD Rule 406(D) - Open Outdoor Fires (adopted 01/21/76, rev. 09/24/03)
On burn days as declared by the State Air Resources Board and pursuant to a valid burn permit as authorized by the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District, fires for the disposal of the following material in the described manner originating from a single or two family dwelling on its premises: ... Dry natural vegetation waste reasonably free of dirt, soil and visible surface moisture...
Most of unincorporated Inyo County is State Responsibility Area protected by CAL FIRE (San Bernardino-Inyo-Mono Unit). The State Fire Marshal classifies wildland areas as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones; portions of Inyo's Eastern Sierra foothills and wildland-urban interface fall in these zones, triggering defensible-space (PRC 4291) and fire-resistant construction (Chapter 7A) requirements.
Smoke alarm rules in unincorporated Inyo County follow California law. Health & Safety Code Section 13113.7 requires State Fire Marshal-approved smoke alarms in dwellings intended for human occupancy, and the California Residential Code (adopted by Inyo County through Title 24) requires alarms in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every story. Rental owners must keep alarms operable.
Backyard recreational fires in unincorporated Inyo County are allowed in a fire pit, fireplace, or barbecue under GBUAPCD Rule 406 without a burn permit, as long as only clean wood is burned (no garbage, plastics, tar, tires, or wet wood). Cooking fires are also exempt. CAL FIRE or local fire restrictions can suspend open fires.
GBUAPCD Rule 406(E) and (K) - Open Outdoor Fires
Fires used only for the cooking of food for human beings or for recreational purposes. ... Recreational or ceremonial fires contained in a fireplace, barbeque, or fire pit, provided material burned is free of household, municipal, and industrial waste, such as: tires, tar, plastics and wet wood.
Propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Inyo County follows the California Fire Code, which the county adopts through Title 24 (Inyo County Code Chapter 14.08). California Fire Code Chapter 61 and NFPA 58 govern tank installation, clearances, and permits. Installation permits are required, and distributors may not fill a container unless an installation permit has been issued.
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