Madera County, CA Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)

Propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Madera County is governed by the California Fire Code, adopted in county code Title 14, Division II Fire Prevention, Chapter 14.35, plus the referenced national standard NFPA 58. California Fire Code Chapter 61 requires that LP-gas storage, handling, and the installation and maintenance of related equipment comply with NFPA 58, subject to approval by the fire code official. Permits are required as set out in the fire code's permit sections, and a distributor may not fill a container requiring a permit unless an installation permit has been issued for that location. Section 6101.3 requires construction documents when a single LP-gas container exceeds 2,000 gallons water capacity, or when the aggregate water capacity of containers exceeds 4,000 gallons. Containers must be located with required clearances from structures, other tanks, and special hazards (such as flammable-liquid tanks, oxygen or hydrogen containers, flood-prone areas and power lines) as specified in NFPA 58. Tank-setback distances scale with container size; for example, large containers up to 1,200 gallons water capacity have minimum separation requirements that can be reduced under defined conditions. Small consumer cylinders such as barbecue and patio-heater tanks connected for use at a home are treated as connected-for-use rather than bulk storage. In foothill State Responsibility Area properties, tanks should also be kept within defensible-space clearance.