King County, WA Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in King County, WA, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- K.C.C. § 7.12.175
- Where allowed
- Designated, posted park sites only
- Containment
- Stove, fire ring, or brought device required
- Curfew
- Banned 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Burn bans
- Banned during PSAPCA or fire marshal burn bans
- Maximum penalty
- $500 civil infraction
Summary
In unincorporated King County parks, campfires and fire pits are allowed only in spots posted and designated for that use, and only with a containment device such as a stove or fire ring. County code bans them outright during air-quality or fire-safety burn bans and every night between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
7.12.175 Campfires. A person may ignite or maintain a campfire in any park area only where such use is designated and posted and either the park area is equipped with a containment device such as a stove or fire ring or a person brings such a device capable of containing a campfire. Also, campfires shall not be ignited or maintained in the following circumstances: A. During an air quality burn ban issued by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency; B. During a fire-safety burn ban issued by the fire marshal; or C. Between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. (Ord. 19771 § 12, 2024).
Full Breakdown
175 sets the rule for igniting or maintaining a campfire in any county park area: it is allowed only where the site is designated and posted for campfires, and the fire must be contained, either because the park area already has a stove or fire ring installed, or because the person using the fire brings their own device capable of containing it. Loose ground fires without a containment device are not permitted anywhere in the park system, even in a designated area. On top of the location and containment requirements, the code layers three flat prohibitions that override any posted permission.
any night, regardless of air quality or fire danger. The section sits in Title 7's parks chapter among the rules governing use of facilities, so it reaches county park areas, not private residential yards; unincorporated King County does not have a separate general fire-pit-and-setback ordinance for private property in the portion of the code supplied here. C. 325, the block that includes the campfire section, as civil infractions rather than crimes. Rangers and the Parks Division can issue an infraction on the spot, and the King County Sheriff's Office patrols county parks and can cite violators as well. C. 670 in addition to the monetary fine.
Violations & Fines
A campfire lit outside a designated, posted site, without a containment device, during a burn ban, or between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. is a civil infraction under K.C.C. 7.12.650, punishable by a monetary penalty up to $500, suspension of park privileges, or both. Appeals of an infraction finding go through the process set out in K.C.C. chapter 20.22.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a campfire anywhere in a King County park?
Is there a curfew on campfires in King County parks?
What happens during an air quality or fire-danger burn ban?
What is the penalty for an illegal campfire in a county park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
How King County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare King County to another location·View the Washington fire regulations overview
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