Outdoor cooking with a barbecue or propane grill is allowed in unincorporated Inyo County. GBUAPCD Rule 406 exempts cooking fires and barbecue fires from the open-burning prohibition. Propane appliances and cylinders follow the California Fire Code (Chapter 61 / NFPA 58). During high fire danger, CAL FIRE or local agencies may restrict open-flame cooking.
Residential outdoor cooking is permitted in unincorporated Inyo County. Under Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District Rule 406, fires used only for the cooking of food for human beings, and recreational fires contained in a barbecue, are exempt from the open-outdoor-fire prohibition, so no burn permit or 'burn day' is needed to grill. The fuel must still be free of household, municipal, and industrial waste — burn charcoal or clean wood, never trash, plastics, or treated wood. Propane (LP-gas) grills and their cylinders are regulated by the California Fire Code, which Inyo County adopts through Title 24 (Inyo County Code Chapter 14.08); California Fire Code Chapter 61 and NFPA 58 govern cylinder handling, connections, and storage. The Fire Code generally limits the storage of LP-gas cylinders near building exits and restricts the use and number of cylinders on combustible balconies of multifamily buildings. During red-flag warnings or declared fire restrictions, CAL FIRE (San Bernardino-Inyo-Mono Unit) and local fire agencies can prohibit open-flame and charcoal cooking outdoors; propane grills with a shutoff valve are often still allowed when wood and charcoal fires are banned. Keep grills a safe distance from structures and dry vegetation given the Eastern Sierra and Owens Valley fire environment.
Burning prohibited materials in a barbecue violates GBUAPCD Rule 406. Improper LP-gas cylinder storage or use can violate the California Fire Code adopted by the county. Operating an open-flame or charcoal grill during a declared fire-restriction period, or causing a wildfire, can result in citation and liability for suppression costs under California Health & Safety Code Section 13009.
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