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

El Dorado County is overwhelmingly within Cal Fire's State Responsibility Area, and most parcels are in High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The El Dorado County Fire Protection District confirms that 'Campfire Permits for the purposes of cooking and warming are not required on your own property,' but recreational fires remain subject to several layers of regulation. The California Fire Code (CCR Title 24, Part 9), adopted by reference in El Dorado County Code Chapter 8.08, governs recreational fires statewide. Under Section 307.4.2 of the California Fire Code, recreational fires must not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material; portable outdoor fireplaces (chimineas, fire bowls, etc.) must be at least 15 feet from any structure or combustible material per Section 307.4.3. A means of extinguishment (shovel, water, garden hose) must be on hand at all times, and an able-bodied adult must remain in attendance until the fire is fully extinguished. Solid-fuel fires of any kind are subject to the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District's burn-day rules - they may only be lit on a permissible burn day. Propane and natural-gas fire pits are not 'open burning' under the AQMD program and may be used on any day, subject to the same 15-foot/25-foot setbacks. During CAL FIRE's declared fire season, even recreational wood fires may be banned by CAL FIRE order; check current restrictions at the Amador-El Dorado Unit. Property owners are also bound by El Dorado County Code Chapter 8.09 (Hazardous Vegetation and Defensible Space, Ordinance 5186) to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around all structures, which dovetails with safe placement of fire pits.