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

There is no broad year-round right to a backyard recreational fire in unincorporated Mono County. During extreme conditions the Board of Supervisors adopts urgency ordinances - such as Ordinance 21-08 (adopted August 17, 2021) - prohibiting open fires on private property and in county-operated campgrounds. Under these orders, prohibited 'open fires include campfires, bonfires, fire pits, or any other open flame fire,' while 'propane or charcoal barbecues used for cooking' are exempt. When no urgency ban is in effect, an outdoor recreational or warming fire on private land still requires the property to meet defensible-space standards and the user to hold a valid California Campfire Permit (free from CAL FIRE, USFS, or BLM offices), and CAL FIRE may have suspended all burning. Because roughly the entire surrounding landscape is Inyo and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, fires on those lands are limited to designated developed recreation sites during fire restrictions: the Inyo NF order states no campfires, briquette barbecues, or stove fires are allowed outside posted sites, and only gas/pressurized-liquid stoves are permitted with a campfire permit. Always confirm the current open-fire status with the Mono County Sheriff and CAL FIRE before lighting any backyard fire.