Backyard wood and pellet smokers in San Francisco are allowed at single-family and two-family homes but are governed by Bay Area Air Quality Management District Regulation 6 (visible emissions) and SF Health Code Article 11 (nuisance smoke). On multi-family balconies, wood and pellet smokers are banned by SF Fire Code 308.1.4 along with all open-flame devices.
BAAQMD Regulation 6 Rule 1 prohibits visible emissions darker than No. 1 on the Ringelmann chart (about 20% opacity) for more than 3 minutes in any hour at residential property lines — wood and pellet smokers that smolder are the most common source of complaints. SF Health Code Section 581 declares nuisance smoke that interferes with neighbors' enjoyment of property a public nuisance enforceable by the Department of Public Health. There are no city-wide time limits, but Spare-the-Air Days called by BAAQMD prohibit any wood burning including smokers under BAAQMD Regulation 6 Rule 3 — violations are $100 for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses. Multi-family balconies fall under SFFC 308.1.4 which bans wood and pellet smokers in buildings with three or more units within 10 feet of combustible construction.
BAAQMD Spare-the-Air violations: $100 first offense, $500 subsequent. SF Health Code nuisance smoke can result in abatement orders and fines up to $1,000 per Section 11.5. Fire Code 308.1.4 violations on multi-family balconies are $100-$500 infractions plus possible lease enforcement.
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