El Dorado County, CA Fire Regulations: Fire Pit Rules (2026)

Outdoor fires in unincorporated El Dorado County are governed by El Dorado County Code Title 8 Chapter 8.08 (Fire Prevention) plus the rules of the local fire protection district with jurisdiction (El Dorado County Fire Protection District, El Dorado Hills Fire Department, Cameron Park Fire Department, Lake Valley Fire Protection District in the Tahoe Basin, Diamond Springs - El Dorado Fire Protection District, and others). Open burning of vegetation - even on your own property - requires a CAL FIRE LE-5 burn permit during the period burning is allowed, and is suspended entirely during declared fire season, which CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado Unit typically declares between late spring and late fall depending on conditions. Recreational fires - wood-burning fire pits, fire rings, and bonfires - are also restricted: most fire districts limit recreational fires to small (typically 3 feet or less in diameter) contained pits with a screen, with clearance from combustibles, and require a responsible adult and water on hand. Recreational wood fires are prohibited entirely on declared no-burn days and during Red Flag Warnings and fire season suspensions. Permanently installed natural gas or propane fire pits and patio heaters with a self-contained gas supply are generally allowed throughout the year, but must comply with manufacturer setback specifications and any local fire district rules. Defensible space requirements under Chapter 8.09 (see brush-clearance) interact with fire pit placement - fire pits must be located within the cleared, non-combustible Zone 0 or Zone 1 immediately surrounding a structure, not within unmaintained vegetation. Within the Lake Tahoe Air Basin (which covers Meyers, Tahoma, Tahoe portions of El Dorado County), the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District declares no-burn days during winter months for air quality, and indoor and outdoor solid-fuel combustion is restricted on those days.