Courtland, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

There is no special Sacramento County smoker ordinance; a charcoal or wood-fired smoker falls under the same California Fire Code open-flame cooking rules as a barbecue. California Fire Code Section 308.1.4 prohibits operating charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, with exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings and for buildings/balconies protected by automatic sprinklers or built of noncombustible materials. So a backyard smoker at a single-family home is generally allowed, while a smoker on a combustible apartment balcony is restricted. Two additional considerations apply specifically to smokers because they run for many hours and produce significant smoke: (1) Air quality nuisance - the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District prohibits smoke that creates a public nuisance under Rule 402; persistent, dense smoke drifting onto neighbors can draw a nuisance complaint even though normal cooking smoke is not otherwise restricted. (2) Fuel and clearance - the device should be attended, kept clear of combustibles, and have water or an extinguisher nearby, consistent with the fire code's general open-flame provisions, and during fire season or Red Flag Warnings local fire authorities may restrict open flames. Smokers are a cooking appliance, not 'open burning,' so they are not subject to the open-burning permit rules, but burning trash or yard waste in a smoker would be unlawful disposal burning.