Santa Maria, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Wood- and charcoal-fired BBQ smokers are regulated as cooking devices, not as open burning, in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. County Fire's burn rules exempt recreational fires used for cooking, and the Air Pollution Control District's open-burning prohibition targets the disposal of waste, not the act of cooking food, so a smoker used to cook does not require a burn permit. The adopted California Fire Code still governs where a fuel-burning smoker may be operated. Because a charcoal or wood smoker is an open-flame cooking device, California Fire Code section 308.1.4 applies in multifamily settings: it shall not be operated on a combustible balcony or within 10 feet of combustible construction, with exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings and for sprinklered buildings. A single-family homeowner may therefore run a smoker in the backyard, while apartment and condo residents on combustible balconies are restricted. A propane-fired smoker is also subject to the LP-gas portion of 308.1.4 (container over 2.5 pounds water capacity barred on combustible balconies). Beyond the code, smokers run for many hours and produce sustained heat and embers, so place a smoker on a noncombustible surface, keep it well clear of the 100-foot defensible-space zone vegetation, and never leave it unattended. During Red Flag warnings and high fire danger, County Fire may restrict open-flame cooking outdoors. Smoke from a smoker should also not create a public nuisance under APCD Rule 303. Confirm current restrictions with Santa Barbara County Fire.