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

No Plumas County-specific ordinance addressing smokers, pellet grills, or wood-fired cookers was identified. Outdoor cooking with a smoker is generally permitted on private residential property and is not treated as 'open burning' under the Northern Sierra AQMD residential-burning rules, which regulate the burning of vegetation and prohibited materials rather than food preparation. That said, because most of Plumas County is State Responsibility Area in High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, charcoal-, briquette-, pellet-, and wood-fired smokers carry the same ember and escaped-fire risk as other solid-fuel fires. During elevated fire danger, CAL FIRE's Lassen-Modoc Unit and the U.S. Forest Service issue fire-restriction orders that commonly prohibit charcoal and wood/solid-fuel cooking outside designated areas while still allowing propane- and gas-fueled appliances with shut-off valves. Best practice mirrors defensible-space rules under PRC 4291: operate the smoker on a noncombustible surface, keep a 10-foot clearance from dry grass, brush, and structures, have a water source or extinguisher on hand, never leave it unattended, and fully extinguish and dispose of ash and coals in a metal container. On Plumas National Forest land, solid-fuel cooking is typically banned during fire season outside developed campgrounds. Check current CAL FIRE and Plumas NF restriction status before using a wood or charcoal smoker in summer and fall.