Sammamish, WA Fire Regulations: Brush Clearance (2026)

Sammamish does not impose a numeric defensible-space clearance mandate like some high-wildfire states. Instead, the city's Community Development department provides wildfire-mitigation guidance and partners with Eastside Fire & Rescue, which serves the city. The city recommends moving flammable material away from exterior walls, including mulch, flammable plants, leaves, needles, and firewood piles; removing materials stored under decks and porches; cleaning roofs, gutters, and attic vents of debris; installing 1/8-inch metal mesh screening on vents to block embers; and repairing loose shingles and damaged window screens. The city emphasizes that parts of Sammamish lie within the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), though it notes the WUI is only one component of wildfire risk. Importantly, the city advises that when clearing vegetation for wildfire safety, the tree regulations of the Sammamish Municipal Code still apply, so residents should confirm whether a permit is needed before removing significant trees or vegetation. Eastside Fire & Rescue offers a 'Wildfire Safe Eastside' home-assessment program to help residents identify hazards. Washington's statewide Wildland-Urban Interface Code adoption was delayed and later rescinded by the State Building Code Council, so there is currently no mandatory state WUI building code in effect; mitigation in Sammamish remains advisory plus the existing tree-protection rules.