Gas, propane, and electric barbecues are generally allowed in unincorporated Sonoma County and are not subject to the wood-smoke burn bans that can apply on Winter Spare the Air days. The California Fire Code adopted in County Code Chapter 13 sets clearance and safety expectations, and in Very High fire zones grills should be kept well clear of vegetation and structures.
Outdoor cooking with gas or propane is treated very differently from open burning in Sonoma County. Unlike consumer fireworks (banned) or vegetation burning (permit-and-burn-day required), propane and gas barbecues are generally permitted. They are not 'wood-burning devices,' so they are unaffected by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Winter Spare the Air wood-burning bans under Regulation 6, Rule 3 - gas and propane grills may be used even when wood burning is prohibited.
Safety expectations come from the California Fire Code, which Sonoma County adopts with local amendments through Chapter 13 of the County Code (most recently the 2022 California Fire Code, Ordinance No. 6396, effective January 1, 2023). The Fire Code's open-flame and cooking provisions emphasize maintaining adequate clearance from combustibles and not operating grills on combustible balconies or within close proximity to structures in higher-occupancy settings.
Given Sonoma County's extreme wildfire exposure, the practical rule for residents in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones is to keep grills on a non-combustible surface, away from dry vegetation, fences, and overhangs, and to never leave a lit grill unattended - especially during red-flag/high-wind conditions when the County may also have suspended any vegetation burning. Propane tanks for grills should be stored and connected per manufacturer and Fire Code guidance; large LP-gas installations are separately permitted (see propane storage).
There is no general ban on propane or gas barbecues in unincorporated Sonoma County. Misuse that ignites vegetation can create liability under defensible-space and nuisance rules, and operating grills too close to structures may violate California Fire Code clearance provisions adopted in County Code Chapter 13.
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