Lewis County, WA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)

2 as adopted sets the location rule for a recreational fire, the category that covers a typical backyard fire pit or campfire: it cannot be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material, and any conditions that could let the fire spread within that 25-foot buffer must be eliminated before it is lit. The code cross-references Chapter 173-425 WAC for related state air-quality standards on outdoor burning. 1: a recreational fire must be constantly attended by an adult who knows how to use the required fire-extinguishing equipment and who is familiar with the county's 'burn ban' discontinuance process, since a countywide burn ban issued by the Building Official can suspend recreational fires along with other open burning.

That attendant must keep buckets, shovels, a garden hose, or a fire extinguisher rated at least 4-A on hand at the fire pit, and must stay with the fire until it is fully extinguished. Because a recreational fire is exempt from the county's open-burning permit system, no separate application is required to use a fire pit for cooking or warmth, but the 25-foot setback and constant-attendance rules are mandatory conditions, and the fire is still subject to suspension the moment the Building Official or the county's Code Compliance Officer declares a burn ban.