Fire Regulations in Josephine County, OR (2026)
4 rules for unincorporated Josephine County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
In Josephine County parks, county code makes it unlawful to build, light, start, or maintain any fire except in a stove, fire pit, or fireplace the park has designated for that use and only when permitted. A fire left unattended, one that risks surrounding grounds or buildings, or sparks and embers escaping the appliance are separately prohibited under Josephine County Code § 12.05.110.
Fire Pits and Campfires in Josephine County Parks
Some RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 12.05.110
§ 12.05.110. Prohibited acts – Fires. ... A. To build, light, start, or maintain a fire in any park except in stoves, fire pits or fireplaces specifically designated for such use when permitted; B. To leave a fire unattended at any time, or to fail to completely and safely extinguish a fire; ... D. To throw, deposit, carry or allow any burning material, including sparks and embers, outside a st...
Fireworks
Josephine County Code bars anyone from possessing or using firecrackers, fireworks, or other explosive devices in a county park without the Parks Director's prior written permission. The prohibition sits in § 12.05.130 alongside bans on discharging firearms or other missile-launching devices, and it is enforced the same way as every other park violation in Chapter 12.05.
Fireworks in Josephine County Parks
Significant RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 12.05.130(B)
§ 12.05.130. Prohibited acts – Weapons, fireworks and explosives. ... ... B. To possess or use any type of firecracker, firework or other type of explosive device without the prior written permission of the Director or Director's designee;
Brush Clearance
Josephine County requires two rings of cleared or fire-resistant vegetation around new structures: a 50-foot primary fire safety zone and a second 50-foot secondary zone beyond it, growing another 50 feet where the slope next to a structure exceeds 20 percent, under JCC § 19.76.080.
Josephine County Wildfire Vegetation Clearance Zones
Some RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 19.76.080(B)(3)
In all cases the primary safety zone shall be developed for a distance of 50 feet in all directions from structures as measured along the ground from the farthest extension of the structure, to include attached carports, decks or eaves. A secondary safety zone shall be established around the primary safety zone for an additional 50 feet in all directions. On sites on which the slope abutting an...
Wildfire Zones
Chapter 19.76 of the Rural Land Development Code sets wildfire and emergency safety standards for new, replaced or substantially improved structures. Forest zone development must always comply, and new dwellings in every other rural zone must also meet the chapter's standards before the county approves a permit.
Josephine County Wildfire Safety Standard Zones
Some RestrictionsJosephine County Code § 19.76.020(C)-(D)
The development of new structures, the substantial improvement of existing structures, the relocation of structures and the replacement of structures in forest zones (Chapter 19.65 JCC) shall meet the requirements of this chapter. ... The development of new dwellings in any zone other than the forest zones shall demonstrate compliance with all of the applicable standards of this chapter.
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