Auburn, WA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Auburn, WA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- ACC 8.32.010, 8.32.030
- Permit issuer
- Auburn fire chief or designee
- Barbecue exemption
- No permit for domestic outdoor cooking devices
- Attendance requirement
- Constant attendance until fully extinguished
- Vegetation burn permit months
- February, April, October only
- Violation classification
- Civil infraction under ACC 1.25.050
Summary
Auburn bans outdoor fires citywide except for religious or ceremonial fires, firefighting instruction, disease control, or bulky waste and vegetation disposal where no reasonable alternative exists, and every permitted fire needs a written permit from the fire chief. ACC 8.32.010 and 8.32.030 exempt ordinary domestic barbecues and outdoor cooking devices from that permit.
No outdoor fires shall be permitted except the following: A. Small outdoor fires for religious, ceremonial, or like social purposes; B. Fires for instruction in the method of fighting fires, testing fire-resistant materials, or testing of fire protection equipment; C. Fires for control of disease; D. Fires for the disposal of bulky waste, natural vegetation or debris when due to unusual and exceptional conditions of the land whereon the same exists, relating to location and topography, no reasonable alternate means of disposal exists. The determination as to the existence of such condition as specified above shall be made by the fire department. ... No burning permit will be required under the terms of this chapter for domestic cooking of meals in outdoor barbecues and similar domestic outdoor cooking devices.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010 opens Auburn's outdoor fires chapter with a blanket rule: no outdoor fires are permitted except small fires for religious, ceremonial or like social purposes; fires for instruction in firefighting, testing fire-resistant materials, or testing fire protection equipment; fires for control of disease; and fires disposing of bulky waste, natural vegetation or debris where unusual land conditions leave no reasonable alternative disposal method, a determination the fire department makes. 010. 030 carves out an exception so no burning permit is needed for domestic cooking of meals in outdoor barbecues and similar domestic outdoor cooking devices, which covers ordinary backyard grills and contained cooking fire pits used for meals.
050 lets the fire chief prohibit any outdoor fire when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make it hazardous. 060 allows separate permits for burning natural vegetation only in February, April and October. 050, escalating to a misdemeanor where that section provides.
Violations & Fines
Lighting an outdoor fire outside the permitted categories, or without the fire chief's written permit, is a civil infraction under ACC 8.32.070, punishable per ACC 1.25.050, and can rise to a misdemeanor under that same section. The fire chief can also order any fire extinguished immediately when conditions turn hazardous under ACC 8.32.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to use a backyard fire pit in Auburn?
Who issues outdoor burning permits in Auburn?
Can Auburn ban all outdoor fires temporarily?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
How Auburn compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Auburn to another location·View the Washington fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle fire pits & backyard fires.