8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 3 cities in Pierce County, Washington.
Verified from official government sources
Recreational fire pits are allowed in Pierce County without a permit if kept small and controlled. Local fire districts cap pits at three feet across and two feet high, set well back from structures, burning only clean firewood or charcoal.
Unincorporated Pierce County sharply limits consumer fireworks under PCC 17C.60.230. Discharge is legal only on July 4 (10 a.m.-11:59 p.m.) and New Year's Eve into New Year's Day. The Fire Marshal may ban them entirely during fire danger.
Pierce County Code 17C.60.230
In unincorporated Pierce County, no person shall discharge any fireworks except between 10:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on July 4, and between 6:00 p.m. on December 31 and 1:00 a.m. on January 1.
Pierce County promotes defensible space around homes in wildfire-prone areas. County code and DNR guidance urge clearing brush and spacing vegetation, with free hazard assessments offered by the fire districts and Pierce Conservation District.
Outdoor burning in Pierce County is regulated by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which bans all land-clearing fires and prohibits yard-waste burning throughout urbanized areas. Recreational fires and permitted rural burning are the narrow exceptions.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Outdoor Burning
All land-clearing fires are prohibited across King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish Counties. Burning yard waste is not allowed at any time in urbanized areas in our jurisdiction.
Pierce County has real wildfire risk in its eastern Cascade foothills, where homes intermingle with forest in the wildland-urban interface. Washington DNR maps hazard and defends state and private forestland, and the county issues summer burn bans.
Washington law (RCW 43.44.110) requires smoke detection devices in all dwelling units. In Pierce County rentals, the landlord must install and ensure working alarms at move-in, while tenants handle battery upkeep. Fines apply for violations.
RCW 43.44.110
Smoke detection devices shall be installed inside all dwelling units. Any owner, seller, or tenant failing to comply with this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than two hundred dollars.
Backyard recreational fires are allowed in Pierce County without a permit, but only small fires burning clean wood or charcoal. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency caps them at three feet across, and all fires stop during seasonal burn bans.
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Outdoor Burning
Recreational fires are defined as cooking fires, charcoal barbecues, campfires, and bonfires using charcoal or bare untreated wood in designated areas or on private property for cooking, pleasure or ceremonial purposes.
Propane (LPG) storage in Pierce County follows the adopted International Fire Code and NFPA 58 through the Fire Prevention Bureau. Larger tank installs need a permit, and tanks must meet setback and clearance rules from buildings and property lines.
3 cities in Pierce County have their own fire regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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