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

No Plumas County-specific barbecue ordinance was identified. Backyard cooking with propane gas grills and charcoal barbecues is generally permitted on private residential property and is not treated as 'open burning' under the Northern Sierra AQMD residential-burning rules (which target burning of vegetation and refuse, not food preparation). However, Plumas County's location in the State Responsibility Area with High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones makes safe practice essential: grills should be operated on a noncombustible surface, kept clear of dry grass, brush, and overhanging vegetation (consistent with PRC 4291 defensible space), and never left unattended. During elevated fire danger, CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service commonly issue restrictions that ban charcoal, briquette, and open-flame cooking on wildlands and in campgrounds while still allowing propane/gas stoves and grills with a shut-off valve, because a gas flame can be turned off instantly. On Plumas National Forest land, fire-restriction orders typically prohibit wood and charcoal fires outside designated rings during fire season but allow portable gas/propane appliances. Always check current CAL FIRE Lassen-Modoc Unit and Plumas National Forest fire-restriction status before cooking with any open flame outdoors during summer and fall.