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

San Benito County does not publish a barbecue ordinance, so backyard grilling at single-family homes is generally unrestricted beyond the California Fire Code (CFC) applied by CAL FIRE / county fire. The key CFC provision is Section 308.1.4: 'Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction.' This 10-foot rule chiefly targets multifamily and apartment balconies - it does not prohibit grilling in a typical detached-home backyard. Several exceptions soften it, including Exception 3, which exempts 'LP-gas cooking devices having LP-gas container capacity not exceeding 2½ pounds nominal,' such as small tabletop or camping grills. For propane supply, the storage rules of CFC Chapter 61 apply: keep spare cylinders outdoors (not in a garage), and follow the size-based clearances for larger tanks. The bigger practical concern in San Benito County is wildfire: on dry, windy days in the grassland and oak-hill country, a grill placed too close to tall dry grass is a real ignition risk, and any escaped fire can lead to suppression-cost liability. During severe fire weather CAL FIRE may issue restrictions affecting open-flame use on wildland parcels. Keep the grill on a noncombustible surface, away from dry vegetation, and never leave it unattended.