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

Colusa County does not regulate household barbecuing through a dedicated ordinance. A propane or charcoal grill used for cooking at a private residence is treated differently from open burning of vegetation, so it does not require an air-district burn-day or a CAL FIRE burn permit. The governing standards are the California Fire Code provisions the county adopts under County Code Sec. 5-12, which set rules for LPG cylinder size and the safe placement of fuel-fired cooking equipment away from combustible construction and building openings — these are aimed mainly at multifamily and commercial settings but reflect good residential practice. The California Fire Code generally restricts the use of charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies or within a set distance of multifamily buildings, while detached single-family homes have more latitude. In the wildfire-prone western foothills (Stonyford, Lodoga and surrounding SRA), grilling demands extra caution: keep the grill on a non-combustible surface, well away from dry grass and structures, never leave it unattended, and avoid use during red-flag warnings or high winds. There is no county requirement to obtain a permit to barbecue at a private home, but if a barbecue ignites a wildfire the operator can be held liable for suppression and damage costs.