Vacaville, CA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Like barbecues, backyard smokers in unincorporated Solano County are not the subject of a unique county ordinance; they are treated as open-flame cooking devices under the adopted 2025 California Fire Code. Under CFC Section 308.1.4, charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices (which includes charcoal and wood-fired smokers) shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, with exceptions for one- and two-family dwellings and for buildings/balconies/decks protected by automatic sprinklers. A pellet or wood smoker produces both heat and embers, so safe placement on a noncombustible surface, away from the house, fences, and dry vegetation, is important - particularly in the Fire Hazard Severity Zones of the western county where CAL FIRE LNU and local fire districts may issue burn bans or red-flag restrictions. Smoke from a smoker should not create a public nuisance for neighbors; persistent, dense smoke could draw a nuisance complaint, though ordinary cooking smoke is generally exempt from air-district open-burning rules (the air districts regulate burning of vegetation and waste, not cooking). Propane-fired smokers follow the same balcony/setback rules as propane grills and the cylinder-storage rules of California Fire Code Chapter 61.