Outdoor Burning Regulations

Residential Burning

Recreational fires: “Means cooking fires, campfires, and bonfires using charcoal or firewood that occur in designated areas or on private property for cooking, pleasure, or ceremonial purposes.” [WAC 173-425-030 (21)]

Recreational Burning: No permit is required for recreational burning. [WAC 173-425-060(2) 6) Recreational burning is permitted if conducted in the following manner:
• In a fire pit no greater than 4ft by 4ft in diameter and constructed of a ring of metal, stone, or brick 8-inches above ground surface, with a 2-foot wide area cleared down to exposed soil surrounding the outside of the pit.
• The pit must have an area at least 10-feet around it cleared of all flammable material or fuels, with at least 20-feet of clearance from overhead flammable materials or fuels.
• Recreational burning must be attended at all times by a responsible person at least 16-years old with the ability to extinguish the fire with a shovel and a 5-gallon bucket of water or with a connected and charged water house. All recreational burning shall be completely extinguished by pouring water or moist soil on the fire, and then stirring the fire with a shovel until all parts are cool to the touch.

Conditions for burning

The following conditions apply to all residential burning without a permit under WAC 173-425-060(5)(c)

• The person responsible for the fire must ascertain the burning conditions of each day.
• A fire may not be ignited and must be extinguished if an air pollution episode, impaired air quality conditions, or fire danger burn ban that applies to the burning is declared for the area.
• The fire must contain only “natural vegetation” and may contain only enough paper to ignite the fire.
• The fire must not include materials hauled from another property.
• If emissions from the fire are detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of any person, cause damage to property or business; or cause a nuisance; the fire must be extinguished immediately.
• A person capable of extinguishing the fire must attend it at all times, and the fire must be extinguished before leaving it.
• No fires are to be within 50 feet of structures. 
• The property owner or the owner’s designated representative must approve burning, before burning is commmenced.
• No burn pile shall be larger than 4ft long by 4ft wide by 4ft high.
• Only one pile at a time may be burned, and each pile must be extinguished before lighting another.
• If an outdoor container is used for burning, it must be constructed of concrete or masonry with a completely enclosed combustion chamber and equipped with a permanently attached spark arrestor constructed of iron, heavy wire mesh, or other noncombustible material with openings not larger than 1/2 inch.
• No fire is permitted within 500ft of forest slash.