El Dorado County, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

07 (Unlawful Fires on Private or Public Property), added by Ordinance No. 040 for any person to intentionally or recklessly initiate, maintain, or permit an unlawful fire, defined as any flame ignited without the property owner's express consent and without compliance with state and local fire-safety law. 050 then carves out cooking and heating fires: they are exempt only when conducted in a 'designated area,' meaning an area specifically posted or identified by the property owner or responsible agency, and only with the express permission of the property owner or responsible authority, which may be shown through posted signage.

Campfires, charcoal fires and portable stoves get the same treatment: they must be lawfully permitted, comply with any posted restrictions and burn suspensions, and have the property owner's permission where required. Portable outdoor fireplaces and other recreational fires (capped by definition at three feet in diameter and two feet in height) are separately exempted when operated under the locally adopted California Fire Code with all permit, safety and clearance standards met and no burn suspension in effect. A burn suspension issued by CAL FIRE, a local fire authority, or the El Dorado County Air Quality Management District overrides any permit status and applies to all open burning, including cooking fires, unless specifically exempted.