Fire Regulations in Washington County, OR (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Washington County, Oregon.
Verified from official government sources
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Washington County's Air Quality Ordinance exempts recreational fires, fire pits, chimineas and patio fireplaces no larger than 3 feet across and 2 feet tall, from its year-round open-burning ban, as long as they're used for cooking or enjoyment, not disposal.
Washington County Recreational Fire Pit Rules
Light RestrictionsWashington County Code §§ 8.56.030.O and 8.56.050.B.1
"Recreational fire" means a small outdoor fire (combustible pile no larger than three feet in diameter and two feet in height), limited to the purposes of cooking or enjoyment, or fires lit in chimineas, patio fireplaces, fire pits, or other similar devices using charcoal, natural gas, propane, manufactured firelogs, or clean dry natural firewood as fuel, and which occurs in designated areas on...
Brush Clearance
Owners of dwellings and structures in the EFC forest zone must maintain a 30-foot fuel-free primary fire break around the building, plus an additional 100-foot fuel-free secondary break, with the primary break widening further on steeper slopes under a county dimensional table.
Washington County Wildfire Fuel Break Rule
Significant RestrictionsWashington County Community Development Code § 428-3.4(D)
D. Fire Break Area Requirements. The owner(s) of dwellings and structures, including replacement dwellings and accessory structures, shall: (1) Maintain a minimum 30-foot primary fuel-free fire break area around the dwelling or structure. As slopes increase, the distance of the primary fire break area shall be increased around the dwelling or structure in accordance with the dimensional require...
Outdoor Burning
No one may open-burn yard debris on single- or multi-family property in unincorporated Washington County's Metro-boundary area at any time of year unless the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a hardship permit: violators face a misdemeanor and up to a $500 fine.
Washington County Outdoor Yard-Debris Burn Ban
Significant RestrictionsWashington County Code § 8.56.050.A
No person shall at any time of the year cause or allow to be initiated any open burning of yard debris on single or multi-family property located in unincorporated areas of Washington County that are within the Metropolitan Service District Boundary, unless a hardship permit has been issued by the Washington County Department of Health and Human Services as described in Section 8.56.060.
Wildfire Zones
New dwellings and structures in the EFC (Exclusive Forest and Conservation) District must meet strict forest structure siting and fire safety standards designed to minimize wildfire hazard; no variance or adjustment can reduce these dimensional standards, and noncompliant proposals fall to a discretionary Type II review.
Washington County EFC Wildfire Siting Rule
Significant RestrictionsWashington County Community Development Code §§ 428-1, 428-2
428-1 Intent and Purpose. The following siting standards apply to all new dwellings and structures in the EFC District. The purpose of the following standards is to ensure that structures are sited in a manner compatible with forest operations and agriculture, to minimize wildfire hazards and risks, and to conserve values found on forest lands. 428-2 Applicability. The forest structure siting a...
Fire Regulations by City in Washington County
2 cities in Washington County have their own fire regulations rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Washington County ordinances
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