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

There is no special Imperial County ordinance restricting residential barbecuing, so backyard grilling with a propane or charcoal BBQ is generally allowed. The governing standard is the California Fire Code, enforced by the Imperial County Fire Department. Under the open-burning and cooking provisions (Section 307 and related grill rules), barbecue grills, barbecue pits and portable outdoor cooking appliances must be kept at least 15 feet from any structure at properties other than one- and two-family dwellings, such as apartments and condominiums; the Fire Code is generally more lenient for detached single-family homes, but the same 15-foot principle is a sound safety practice everywhere. Recreational and cooking fires must be attended and have a means of extinguishment nearby. A clean propane or charcoal cooking fire is not "open burning" of waste, so it does not require an ICAPCD burn authorization, unlike burning yard debris. Propane cylinders for grills must be in good condition and stored upright outdoors away from ignition sources; larger permanent LPG tanks fall under the Fire Code and NFPA 58 rules. Because Imperial County's wildfire risk is very low, there is no fire-danger seasonal grilling ban, but common sense clearance from dry vegetation and structures still applies, especially during high winds.