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Chapter 41 — TEMPORARY HEATING AND COOKING OPERATIONS

Section 4104 — PORTABLE FUEL-FIRED COOKING APPLIANCES

2025 California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9) · 2025 edition · updated 2026-07-29 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

4104.1 Portable fuel-fired cooking appliances.

Portable fuel-fired cooking appliances shall be permitted to be used in all occupancies in accordance with this section.

4104.2 Open-flame cooking devices.

Charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices shall not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet (3048 mm) of combustible construction.

Exceptions:

  1. One- and two-family dwellings.
  2. Where buildings, balconies and decks are protected by an automatic sprinkler system.
  3. LP-gas cooking devices having LP-gas container with a water capacity not greater than 2 [1] / 2 pounds [nominal 1 pound (0.454 kg) LP-gas capacity].

4104.3 Indoor cooking.

Portable fuel-fired cooking appliances used indoors shall not be located within 10 feet (3048 mm) of exits or combustible materials.

4104.4 Cooking operations.

Cooking that produces sparks or grease-laden vapors shall not be performed within 10 feet (3048 mm) of a tent or membrane structure except where the following conditions are met:

  1. Cooking devices shall be isolated from the public.
  2. Cooking devices shall be maintained and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Exception: Designated cooking tents with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

4104.5 Separation of cooking tents.

Tents with sidewalls or drops where cooking is performed shall be separated from other noncooking tents or membrane structures by not less than 10 feet (3048 mm). Exception: Small tents limited to 100 square feet (9.3 m [2] ) that are accessory to the cooking operations of the cooking tent and are not occupied by the public.

4104.5.1 Groups of cooking tents. Cooking tents shall be permitted to be placed side by side where the following conditions are met:

  1. The area of the cooking tents has a maximum area of 700 square feet (65 m [2] ).
  2. Each grouping of tents shall have a fire break clearance of at least 12 feet (3658 mm).
  3. A fire access aisle separating rows of cooking tents has a minimum width of 16 feet (4877 mm) clear.

4104.6 Operations.

Operations such as warming of foods, cooking demonstrations and similar operations that use solid flammables, butane or other similar devices that do not pose an ignition hazard, shall be approved.

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▸ Contents — 2025 California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9)
2025 California Fire Code (Title 24, Part 9)
  1. Chapter 1 — ADMINISTRATION
  2. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS
  3. Chapter 3 — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
  4. Chapter 4 — EMERGENCY PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS
  5. Chapter 5 — FIRE SERVICE FEATURES
  6. Chapter 6 — BUILDING SERVICES AND SYSTEMS
  7. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  8. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISH, DECORATIVE MATERIALS AND FURNISHI…
  9. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  10. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  11. Chapter 11 — CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS
  12. Chapter 12 — ENERGY SYSTEMS
  13. Chapter 20 — AVIATION FACILITIES
  14. Chapter 21 — DRY CLEANING
  15. Chapter 22 — COMBUSTIBLE DUST-PRODUCING OPERATIONS
  16. Chapter 23 — MOTOR FUEL-DISPENSING FACILITIES AND REPAIR GARAGES
  17. Chapter 24 — FLAMMABLE FINISHES
  18. Chapter 25 — FRUIT AND CROP RIPENING
  19. Chapter 26 — FUMIGATION AND INSECTICIDAL FOGGING
  20. Chapter 27 — SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION FACILITIES
  21. Chapter 28 — LUMBER YARDS AND AGRO-INDUSTRIAL, SOLID BIOMASS A…
  22. Chapter 29 — MANUFACTURE OF ORGANIC COATINGS
  23. Chapter 30 — INDUSTRIAL OVENS
  24. Chapter 31 — TENTS, TEMPORARY SPECIAL EVENT STRUCTURES AND OTH…
  25. Chapter 32 — HIGH-PILED COMBUSTIBLE STORAGE
  26. Chapter 33 — FIRE SAFETY DURING CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION
  27. Chapter 34 — TIRE REBUILDING AND TIRE STORAGE
  28. Chapter 35 — WELDING AND OTHER HOT WORK
  29. Chapter 36 — MARINAS
  30. Chapter 37 — COMBUSTIBLE FIBERS
  31. Chapter 38 — RESERVED
  32. Chapter 39 — PROCESSING AND EXTRACTION FACILITIES
  33. Chapter 40 — STORAGE OF DISTILLED SPIRITS AND WINES
  34. ▸ Chapter 41 — TEMPORARY HEATING AND COOKING OPERATIONS
    Overview
    1. Section 4101 — GENERAL
    2. Section 4102 — PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATING APPLIANCES
    3. Section 4103 — PORTABLE FUEL-FIRED HEATING APPLIANCES
    4. Section 4104 — PORTABLE FUEL-FIRED COOKING APPLIANCES
    5. Section 4105 — PORTABLE ELECTRIC COOKING APPLIANCES
    6. Section 4106 — RESERVED
  35. Chapter 48 — MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION STUDIO S…
  36. Chapter 49 — REQUIREMENTS FOR WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE FIRE AR…
  37. Chapter 50 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS—GENERAL PROVISIONS
  38. Chapter 51 — AEROSOLS
  39. Chapter 52 — RESERVED
  40. Chapter 53 — COMPRESSED GASES
  41. Chapter 54 — CORROSIVE MATERIALS
  42. Chapter 55 — CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
  43. Chapter 56 — EXPLOSIVES AND FIREWORKS
  44. Chapter 57 — FLAMMABLE AND COMBUSTIBLE LIQUIDS
  45. Chapter 58 — FLAMMABLE GASES AND FLAMMABLE CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
  46. Chapter 59 — FLAMMABLE SOLIDS
  47. Chapter 60 — HIGHLY TOXIC AND TOXIC MATERIALS
  48. Chapter 61 — LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GASES
  49. Chapter 62 — ORGANIC PEROXIDES
  50. Chapter 63 — OXIDIZERS, OXIDIZING GASES AND OXIDIZING CRYOGENI…
  51. Chapter 64 — PYROPHORIC MATERIALS
  52. Chapter 65 — PYROXYLIN (CELLULOSE NITRATE) PLASTICS
  53. Chapter 66 — UNSTABLE (REACTIVE) MATERIALS
  54. Chapter 67 — WATER-REACTIVE SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS
  55. Chapter 80 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  56. Appendix Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON US…
  57. Appendix A — BOARD OF APPEALS
  58. Appendix B — FIRE-FLOW REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDINGS
  59. Appendix BB — FIRE-FLOW REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDINGS
  60. Appendix C — FIRE HYDRANT LOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION
  61. Appendix CC — FIRE HYDRANT LOCATIONS AND DISTRIBUTION
  62. Appendix D — FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROADS
  63. Appendix E — HAZARD CATEGORIES
  64. Appendix F — HAZARD RANKING
  65. Appendix G — CRYOGENIC FLUIDS—WEIGHT AND VOLUME EQUIVALENTS
  66. Appendix H — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MANAGEMENT PLANS AND HAZARDOU…
  67. Appendix I — FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS—NONCOMPLIANT CONDITIONS
  68. Appendix J — BUILDING INFORMATION SIGN
  69. Appendix K — CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING AMBULATORY…
  70. Appendix L — REQUIREMENTS FOR FIREFIGHTER AIR REPLENISHMENT SY…
  71. Appendix M — HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS—RETROACTIVE AUTOMATIC SPRINKL…
  72. Appendix N — INDOOR TRADE SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS
  73. Appendix O — VALET TRASH AND RECYCLING COLLECTION IN GROUP R-2…
  74. Appendix P — TEMPORARY HAUNTED HOUSES, GHOST WALKS AND SIMILAR…
  75. Appendix Q — COMMUNITY WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE (WUI) FIRE HAZ…

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