8 rules for unincorporated Merced County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Merced County Code Section 9.24.160 prohibits building or maintaining outdoor fires without a permit from the county fire chief, but exempts heating and cooking appliances at dwellings ('dooryard premises') and established campsites. Recreational fire pits at homes are generally allowed; any outdoor fire must be attended and fully extinguished.
Unincorporated Merced County permits state-approved 'safe and sane' fireworks. Merced County Code Chapter 9.26 allows their sale and discharge only during a defined window around the Fourth of July. 'Dangerous' fireworks (rockets, firecrackers, Roman candles, aerial shells) are illegal. Retail sales require a temporary-stand permit on commercial or industrial property.
Merced County Code Chapter 9.25 (Fire Hazard Abatement) makes every property owner in the unincorporated county responsible for removing dry grass, brush, weeds, and combustible debris that create a fire hazard. The county fire chief's designee enforces it, and uncorrected hazards bring escalating daily fines.
Open outdoor burning in unincorporated Merced County requires a permit from the county fire chief (Merced County Code Section 9.24.160) and a permit from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Agricultural burning is regulated under Chapter 9.20. Residential trash burning on the valley floor is effectively prohibited; burning is allowed only on declared 'burn days.'
Most of unincorporated Merced County is valley-floor agricultural land with limited wildfire exposure, but grassland in the eastern foothills toward the Mariposa line carries higher risk. CAL FIRE maps Fire Hazard Severity Zones; parcels in a State Responsibility Area must keep 100 feet of defensible space under Public Resources Code 4291.
Merced County does not publish a separate smoke-alarm ordinance for unincorporated areas; the requirement comes from California law. Health & Safety Code Section 13113.7 requires State Fire Marshal-approved smoke alarms in every dwelling unit, and carbon monoxide alarms are required in homes with fossil-fuel appliances, fireplaces, or attached garages.
Recreational backyard fires at a home are allowed in unincorporated Merced County under the 'dooryard premises' exemption in Merced County Code Section 9.24.160-no burn permit needed. Open burning of brush or trash does require a permit. Fires must be attended by an adult and fully extinguished (Section 9.24.200).
Propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Merced County is governed by the 2022 California Fire Code, adopted in Merced County Code Section 9.24.010, rather than a separate county ordinance. The Fire Code sets container limits, clearances, and permit thresholds for larger installations; small residential cylinders for grills are generally exempt.
See every category we cover for Merced County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Merced County Ordinance Hub →