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

There is no Kings County ordinance that specifically bans backyard smokers; they are treated as outdoor cooking devices. Kings County Code Section 10-1 adopts the 2019 California Fire Code, whose Section 308 governs open-flame cooking devices: Section 308.1.4 limits charcoal and open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, with exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings and sprinklered buildings, so detached-home smokers are generally unrestricted by that provision. Because Kings County lies in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, it is worth noting that the District's Rule 4901 wood-burning curtailment applies to wood-burning heating devices, not to cooking; using a wood or pellet smoker to cook food is considered cooking rather than residential wood heating, and burning clean, dry wood or charcoal for cooking is not the prohibited open burning of waste regulated under SJVAPCD Rule 4103. General fire-safety rules still apply: Kings County Code Section 10-6 makes it unlawful to leave any fire unattended, so a lit smoker should be attended and its coals fully extinguished afterward, and a smoker should be kept clear of structures and combustibles consistent with the Fire Code.