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

Unlike open wood fires, propane and gas barbecue grills are generally allowed in Alpine County even during heightened fire danger. County Code section 8.16.020 provides that the open-burning permit requirement of Chapter 8.16 does not apply to heating or lighting appliances used within a building or within the dooryard premises of a place of habitation — which covers patio propane grills at a residence. More importantly, when the county declares a fire restriction designation (the periods of greatest wildfire risk), section 8.20.050 prohibits outdoor open fires but expressly exempts 'supervised residential use of approved outdoor cooking devices.' That makes a supervised propane or gas BBQ one of the few cooking options that remains legal during a county fire restriction, whereas wood and charcoal open fires are banned. The grill must be supervised at all times, and the broader fire rules still apply: it is unlawful to leave any fire unattended (section 8.16.070) or to allow a fire to escape and spread (section 8.16.080), and starting a wildfire through negligence carries liability for suppression costs under Health & Safety Code 13009. Because most of the county is in High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, residents should keep grills well away from dry vegetation, maintain defensible space around the home (PRC 4291), and check whether U.S. Forest Service or BLM restrictions further limit cooking fires on adjacent federal land. On national forest land, only devices using bottled/pressurized fuel are typically allowed during fire restrictions, not charcoal or wood.