Del Norte County, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

A backyard smoker, pellet grill, kamado, or wood-fired oven is treated as a cooking device, not open burning, so it does not require a North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District burn permit. The District confirms that 'Burn permits are not required for recreational fires (camping, warming, cooking, etc.) or ceremonial fires' — cooking is exempt from the vegetation-disposal permit rules. The governing safety rule is California Fire Code Section 308.1.4, under which open-flame cooking devices (including charcoal and wood-burning smokers) shall not be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction — but one- and two-family dwellings are exempt, so at a single-family home there is no fixed setback beyond common-sense safety. The rule mainly limits wood/charcoal smokers on apartment and condominium balconies. Because a smoker burns wood or charcoal for hours and throws embers and smoke, keep it on a noncombustible, level surface well away from siding, eaves, fences, overhanging trees, and dry brush; never operate it indoors, in a garage, or under a covered porch; and keep water or an extinguisher nearby. Persistent heavy smoke that drifts onto neighbors could be treated as a nuisance. In the CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area, wood/charcoal smokers may be restricted during red-flag or burn-suspension periods — confirm conditions before a long smoke.