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

There is no specific Tulare County ordinance for backyard smokers; they are regulated as outdoor cooking appliances under the adopted 2022 California Fire Code (Ordinance Code Section 7-15-1115, enforced by the Tulare County Fire Chief). Because a smoker is a cooking device using clean fuel (seasoned wood, lump charcoal, pellets, or propane) rather than burning waste, it is not 'open burning' and is not barred by the county's trash/rubbish-burning prohibition in Code Section 7-15-1130(f). Like barbecue grills, smokers fall outside the 'recreational fire' definition, so the 25-foot recreational-fire setback does not apply; nonetheless, a smoker should be positioned a safe distance from the house, fence, eaves, and other combustibles and never left unattended. At multi-family (Group R) buildings, adopted Fire Code Section 308 restrictions on open-flame and charcoal cooking devices on combustible balconies apply. Smoke from a smoker that drifts onto neighbors could be addressed as a public nuisance under general county nuisance provisions if persistent and unreasonable. In the foothill State Responsibility Area, CAL FIRE open-flame restrictions during high fire danger may temporarily limit wood or charcoal smokers; confirm current rules before use.