Alpine County, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Smokers occupy a middle ground in Alpine County's fire rules. A gas-fired or electric pellet smoker is an 'approved outdoor cooking device,' so under County Code section 8.20.050 its supervised residential use remains legal even when the county declares a fire restriction — the same exemption that covers propane BBQs. Cooking appliances used within the dooryard premises of a residence are also exempt from the Chapter 8.16 open-burning permit requirement (section 8.16.020). The picture is tighter for charcoal- and wood-fired smokers, which produce open flame and embers. When a fire restriction designation is in effect, section 8.20.050 prohibits outdoor open fires (allowing only supervised approved cooking devices and permitted campfires), so a wood or charcoal smoker may not be usable during peak fire danger. Outside of restrictions but within the April 15–December 1 period, building or maintaining an open fire to burn wood generally requires a permit from the State Fire Warden/CAL FIRE under section 8.16.010 unless it falls within the dooryard or campsite exemptions. In all cases the device must be attended (section 8.16.070), kept from spreading (section 8.16.080), and used with defensible space in mind, since the county is largely High/Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Smoke from wood-fired cooking is also subject to Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District nuisance and burning rules. The safest approach during dry months is a propane or pellet smoker rather than a charcoal or stick-burner.