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

Outdoor barbecuing is generally unrestricted for one- and two-family homes in unincorporated Kings County. Kings County Code Section 10-1 adopts the 2019 California Fire Code, whose Section 308 covers open-flame cooking devices. Section 308.1.4 provides that charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, but it includes exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings and for buildings protected by automatic sprinklers, and an allowance for LP-gas cooking devices with limited fuel capacity. As a result, the balcony restriction mainly affects apartments and condominiums, not detached homes. Because Kings County is in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, it is important to note that propane and natural-gas devices - and cooking - are not subject to the District's Rule 4901 wood-burning curtailment, so a gas grill may be used even on a 'no-burn' day. Charcoal grilling for cooking is likewise not considered open burning of waste under the air district's open-burning rules. Propane cylinders used for grilling are subject to the California Fire Code Chapter 61 storage rules: store them outdoors, away from building openings and ignition sources, and never in a basement or below-grade space.