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

No unincorporated-county ordinance was found that specifically regulates backyard smokers in Mono County. A charcoal, pellet, or wood smoker is generally treated as a cooking barbecue. Under the county's urgency open-fire ordinances (such as Ordinance 21-08, August 17, 2021), prohibited 'open fires include campfires, bonfires, fire pits, or any other open flame fire,' but the restrictions 'do not apply to propane or charcoal barbecues used for cooking' - so a contained charcoal or propane smoker used for cooking is allowed on private property even during a county open-fire ban, provided it is a self-contained cooking appliance and not an open fire. Two cautions apply. First, on the surrounding National Forest lands, the Inyo National Forest fire order bans briquette barbecues (and thus charcoal smokers) outside designated developed recreation sites during restrictions, while gas/pressurized-liquid-fuel cooking devices may be used with a valid California Campfire Permit. Second, smoke from a smoker is subject to nuisance and air-quality considerations: the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) regulates open burning and smoke, and a smoker that creates a public nuisance or excessive smoke could draw a complaint. Operators should keep the smoker attended, on a noncombustible surface, and clear of the vegetation that defensible-space rules (Chapter 22 / PRC 4291) require around structures. Always confirm current fire restrictions before use.