Tulare County, CA Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Home barbecuing is a normal, permitted activity in the unincorporated county and there is no special county BBQ ordinance. The framework is the 2022 California Fire Code, adopted by Tulare County Ordinance Code Section 7-15-1115 and enforced by the Tulare County Fire Chief. A barbecue grill or barbecue pit is expressly excluded from the 'recreational fire' definition, so the 25-foot recreational-fire setback does not apply to cooking grills. However, the adopted Fire Code does regulate open-flame cooking devices: in California Fire Code Section 308, charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices generally may not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction at apartments and similar Group R multi-family occupancies (single-family homes are typically exempt from that balcony restriction). LP-gas (propane) cylinders for grills fall under Fire Code Chapter 61 / NFPA 58 — typical 20-lb barbecue bottles are below permit thresholds, but the code limits indoor storage of cylinders and requires they be stored upright outdoors away from ignition sources. During high fire danger in the foothill State Responsibility Area, CAL FIRE may further restrict open-flame devices; check current restrictions before grilling in wildland areas.