Fire Regulations in Nevada County, CA (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Nevada County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Backyard fires in unincorporated Nevada County fall into two regulated buckets: open burning of yard debris (allowed only on NSAQMD permissive burn days, with a CAL FIRE permit) and small recreational fires (California Fire Code Section 307). Recreational fires must be 3 feet or less across, 25 feet from structures, and constantly attended. All fireworks are banned.
Nevada County Backyard Fire Rules
Some RestrictionsNevada County Code Sec. 14.05.090 - Permits for Burning Operations
Residential open burning, consisting of burning materials originating from one (1) or more single or multiple family dwellings on a premises including incinerator use, is allowed subject to the provisions of this Code as adopted by the County of Nevada. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there shall be no open burning, and no permits may be issued for burning, on days or at times determined to be u...
Fireworks
All fireworks are banned throughout unincorporated Nevada County, including state-approved "Safe and Sane" types. Nevada County is a non-permissive jurisdiction because of extreme wildfire risk in the Sierra foothills. Possessing, transporting, or using fireworks is illegal, and people who start a fire can be held financially and criminally liable.
Nevada County Fireworks Rules
Heavy RestrictionsNevada County Code Sec. 11.01.150 - Prohibition of Fireworks
Every person, firm or corporation is prohibited from using, discharging or possessing any fireworks as same is defined in Cal. Health & Safety Code Sec. 12511 within the unincorporated territory of the County of Nevada. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section shall not apply to any person, firm, or corporation engaged in using, discharging or possessing said fireworks under the direction, g...
Brush Clearance
Property owners in unincorporated Nevada County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures under California PRC 4291, and the county's Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material Abatement Ordinance (Code Article 7, Sec. G-IV 7.1 et seq.) extends those duties to adjacent parcels and roadways. Vegetation must be cleared 10 feet beyond road shoulders to a 15-foot vertical height.
Nevada County Brush Clearance Rules
Some RestrictionsNevada County Code Sec. 4.01.040 - Nuisance Declared; Duty to Abate Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material
Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Materials within one hundred (100') feet of a structure (or greater as determined by the Public Official) or along roadways that serve as primary ingress and egress routes, are hereby declared to be a public nuisance that may be abated in accordance with this Chapter, and by any other means available by law.
Outdoor Burning
Open burning of dry vegetation in unincorporated Nevada County is allowed only on declared "permissive burn days" set by the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD) and requires a CAL FIRE residential burn permit (required from May 1 each year). Only dry vegetation grown on the property may be burned; trash, treated wood, and burn barrels are illegal.
Nevada County Outdoor Burning Rules
Some RestrictionsNevada County Code Sec. 14.05.130 - Open Burning
Prior to commencement of open burning, the resident must ensure that it is a permissive burn day. Open burning shall not be conducted within fifty (50) feet (fifteen and twenty-five one-hundredths (15.25) meters) of any structure.
Wildfire Zones
Most of unincorporated Nevada County is mapped as High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by CAL FIRE and the State Fire Marshal under Government Code 51178. Unincorporated lands fall mainly in CAL FIRE's State Responsibility Area, triggering PRC 4291 defensible space, the county's hazardous-vegetation ordinance, and California Building Code Chapter 7A construction standards.
Nevada County Wildfire Zone Rules
Light RestrictionsNevada County Code Sec. 12.04.218 - Wildland Fire Hazard Areas
Wildland Fire Hazard Areas means those areas within the unincorporated area of Nevada County that are mapped on the CALFIRE "Fire Hazard Severity Zone" maps which are rated for wildland fire potential. Unless otherwise exempted by this Chapter, all discretionary and Administrative Development Permit projects within a high or very high fire hazard zone shall comply with the following standards.
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