8 rules for unincorporated Tehama County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Backyard recreational fire pits in unincorporated Tehama County follow the California Fire Code. Open recreational fires must be under 3 feet across and 2 feet high and kept at least 25 feet from structures; manufactured portable fire pits must be at least 15 feet from anything combustible and attended at all times.
State-approved 'Safe and Sane' fireworks are legal in unincorporated Tehama County, including communities such as Gerber, Los Molinos, and Proberta. Only fireworks bearing the California State Fire Marshal 'Safe and Sane' seal may be sold or used; all dangerous (flying or exploding) fireworks are illegal statewide.
Property owners in Tehama County's State Responsibility Area must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures under California Public Resources Code section 4291. CAL FIRE inspects SRA properties, and the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County offers free defensible-space assistance in SRA, WUI, and high-hazard zones.
Residential (dooryard) outdoor burning in unincorporated Tehama County is allowed only on permissive burn days set by the Tehama County Air Pollution Control District, only for natural vegetation grown on the property, and — during declared fire season — only with a CAL FIRE residential burn permit. Burning garbage, plastics, and treated materials is prohibited.
Much of unincorporated Tehama County — the Cascade foothills (Mineral, Mill Creek, Manton) and Coast Range — lies in a State Responsibility Area with High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Properties in these zones must meet PRC 4291 defensible space, and new construction in High/Very High zones must meet California Building Code Chapter 7A wildfire standards.
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements in unincorporated Tehama County follow California law, not a separate county ordinance. State-approved smoke alarms are required in every dwelling, and carbon monoxide alarms are required in dwellings with a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace, or attached garage.
Small backyard recreational fires are allowed in unincorporated Tehama County under the California Fire Code (under 3 ft wide, 2 ft high, 25 ft from structures, attended at all times). Open burning of yard waste is separate and requires a permissive burn day plus, during fire season, a CAL FIRE permit. Burning trash is prohibited.
Residential propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Tehama County follows the California Fire Code Chapter 61 and NFPA 58. Tank setbacks depend on capacity — typically 10 feet from buildings and property lines for 125–500 gallon tanks — and LP-gas containers may not be stored indoors or in basements.
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