Calaveras County, CA Fire Regulations: Backyard Fires (2026)

In the unincorporated county, a 'backyard fire' is regulated differently depending on its purpose. A recreational cooking fire is allowed under APCD Rule 308.2.F using only charcoal, untreated wood, or cooking fuels and approved ignition devices, and a CAL FIRE campfire permit is generally required outside an organized campground. Burning yard debris in a backyard burn pile is more restricted. The Calaveras County APCD requires burning only on a permissive burn day, only on the premises where the material originated, using only natural vegetation, and managed per Rules 304 and 305 (Residential Maintenance, Rule 308.2.E). CAL FIRE Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit additionally requires a residential burn permit and sets operating conditions: pile sizes restricted to 4 feet by 4 feet, a 10-foot clearance cleared down to bare earth around the pile, and a responsible person in attendance at all times with water and a shovel. CAL FIRE routinely suspends all residential outdoor burning during fire season - including all landscape-debris burning at all elevations - leaving only properly maintained campfires/cooking fires. Because Calaveras County is high fire-hazard Sierra foothill and mountain terrain, escaped backyard fires are a leading cause of wildfire; the safest practice is to confirm both the air-district burn day and the CAL FIRE permit status before lighting anything, keep fires small and attended, and have water and tools ready.