Fire Regulations in Pasco, WA (2026)
8 verified fire regulations for Pasco, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pit Rules
Pasco allows small recreational fires (cooking fires, campfires, fire pits, and outdoor fireplaces) inside the city without a permit, provided the fire is no larger than 3 feet by 2 feet, clearances to property lines and combustibles are met, and it is not a No-Burn Day. Larger recreational fires are prohibited within the Urban Growth Area.
Pasco Fire Pit and Recreational Fire Rules
Some RestrictionsFireworks
Unlike many western-Washington cities, Pasco permits state-legal consumer ('safe and sane') fireworks on set dates around Independence Day and New Year's. Aerial and explosive items are illegal. Discharge outside the permitted dates and hours is a civil infraction carrying a penalty of at least $250 per violation under Pasco Municipal Code 16.65.051.
Pasco Consumer Fireworks Rules
Some RestrictionsBrush Clearance
Pasco has no California-style numeric defensible-space ordinance, but the City requires properties to be kept free of dangerous accumulations of dry weeds, brush, and combustible vegetation under its nuisance and fire-prevention codes. Because Pasco sits in dry shrub-steppe terrain prone to grass fires, the Code Enforcement and Fire divisions can order overgrown lots cleared.
Pasco Brush, Weeds, and Vegetation Clearance
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Burning
Open outdoor burning of yard debris, land-clearing material, and garbage has been substantially banned inside Pasco's Urban Growth Area since December 31, 2000. The traditional metal burn barrel is illegal throughout Washington. Limited exceptions exist for windblown tumbleweeds on designated burn days, and agricultural burning in Franklin County is permitted only by the Washington Department of Ecology.
Pasco Outdoor Burning Ban
Heavy RestrictionsWildfire Zones
Pasco does not designate formal local wildland-urban-interface (WUI) overlay zones or a defensible-space ordinance. The City sits in dry shrub-steppe terrain in the Tri-Cities with a medium wildfire risk, and grass and brush fires are a recurring summer threat. Wildfire hazard mapping is provided by the Washington Department of Natural Resources rather than a Pasco zoning code.
Pasco Wildfire Risk and Zones
Some RestrictionsSmoke Detectors
Pasco does not have a separate local smoke-alarm ordinance; smoke alarms are required through the International Fire Code and International Residential Code adopted in Pasco Municipal Code Chapter 16.65 and 16.05, and through Washington State law. Alarms are required in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of a dwelling, including basements.
Pasco Smoke Alarm Requirements
Some RestrictionsBackyard Fires
Small backyard recreational fires (campfires, fire pits, cooking fires) are allowed in Pasco without a permit if kept under 3 feet by 2 feet, attended, clear of combustibles, and not lit on a No-Burn Day. Open burning of yard waste and garbage is banned in the Urban Growth Area, and burn barrels are illegal statewide.
Pasco Backyard and Campfire Rules
Some RestrictionsPropane Storage
Pasco regulates propane (LP-gas) storage through the International Fire Code adopted in Pasco Municipal Code Chapter 16.65. The IFC limits the size and placement of LP-gas containers, restricts large cylinders on or near combustible balconies of multi-family buildings, and sets installation, clearance, and permit standards for larger tanks. There is no unique Pasco-only numeric rule beyond the adopted code.