Calaveras County, CA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Calaveras County, CA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Clearance distance
- 15 feet from grass/brush/forest cover
- No-permit fixtures
- Barbecue, fireplace, incinerator or grill
- Applies in
- Mapped hazardous fire areas only
- Ash disposal
- 10-25 ft from combustible vegetation
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months jail
- Issuing authority
- County fire warden, CAL FIRE, or USFS
Summary
In Calaveras County's mapped hazardous fire areas, a permanent or portable barbecue, outdoor fireplace, incinerator or grill needs no burn permit as long as it sits at least fifteen feet from grass, grain, brush or forest cover. Move closer than that and the fire falls back under the chapter's general open-fire permit requirement.
No permit will be required for outdoor fires within habited premises, developed recreational areas or designated camp sites where such fires are built in a permanent barbecue, portable barbecue, outdoor fireplace, incinerator or grill and are a minimum of fifteen feet from any grass, grain, brush or forest covered area. Such a permit shall incorporate such terms and conditions which will reasonably safeguard public safety and property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 8.08.080 of the Hazardous Fire Areas chapter governs outdoor fires, including fire pits and barbecues, wherever the county fire warden has mapped a hazardous fire area under Section 8.08.020, meaning land covered with grass, grain, brush or forest that would be abnormally difficult to defend if it caught fire. Subsection A requires a written permit from the county fire warden, the State Department of Forestry or the U.S. Forest Service for any outdoor fire in such an area.
Subsection B carves out the recreational fire-pit exception: no permit is needed for outdoor fires at inhabited premises, developed recreational areas or designated camp sites, provided the fire burns in a permanent barbecue, portable barbecue, outdoor fireplace, incinerator or grill and sits a minimum of fifteen feet from any grass, grain, brush or forest-covered area. Even a permitted fire must incorporate terms and conditions that reasonably safeguard public safety and property. Subsection D adds that no barbecue, fire pit, fireplace or grill may be used to dispose of rubbish, trash or combustible waste.
Ash and coal disposal from a fire pit is separately regulated: Section 8.08.090 requires ashes to go in an established fire pit hearth, a camp stove, a fireplace, or a covered noncombustible container kept at least ten feet from combustible vegetation or a structure, or to be buried under six inches of mineral earth at least twenty-five feet away. A violation of the outdoor-fire rules under Sections 8.08.040 through 8.08.110 is a misdemeanor punishable under Section 8.08.120.
Violations & Fines
Violating the outdoor-fire rules in Sections 8.08.040 through 8.08.110, including the fifteen-foot barbecue and fire-pit clearance in Section 8.08.080, is a misdemeanor under Section 8.08.120, punishable by a fine of up to five hundred dollars, imprisonment in the county jail for up to six months, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a backyard fire pit in Calaveras County?
What is a hazardous fire area?
Where can I dump the ashes from my fire pit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
How Calaveras County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Calaveras County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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