Washington County, OR Fire Regulations: Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (2026)
Fire pit rules in Washington County, OR, also called outdoor burning, recreational fire, or open flame ordinances, cover fuel types, clearances, and when burning is allowed.
Key Facts
- Max size
- 3 ft diameter, 2 ft height
- Allowed fuel
- Charcoal, propane, gas, clean dry wood
- Must not be
- Used for trash/debris disposal
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Health and Human Services
- Local override
- Fire district/state marshal bans still apply
Summary
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.
"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 public lands or on private property. The fire cannot serve as a disposal fire. ... this prohibition does not apply to: 1.Recreational fires where a fire is appropriate and is not used for disposal purposes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Community Development Code: Supplement 2 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
O defines a recreational fire as a small outdoor fire, a combustible pile no larger than three feet in diameter and two feet in height, limited to cooking or enjoyment, or a fire lit in chimineas, patio fireplaces, fire pits, or similar devices burning charcoal, natural gas, propane, manufactured firelogs, or clean dry natural firewood. It must occur in a designated area on public or private property, and it cannot serve as a disposal fire, burning trash or debris in a fire pit isn't protected by the exemption and falls back under the open-burning ban.
C notes that even exempt recreational fires remain subject to any additional requirements or prohibitions imposed by local fire districts or the state fire marshal, so a local burn-ban day (red-flag conditions) can still shut down a backyard fire pit even though the county ordinance itself exempts it.
Violations & Fines
This exemption removes recreational fires from the county's open-burning enforcement scheme entirely, so no county penalty attaches to a compliant fire pit. A fire that exceeds the 3-by-2-foot size limit, or that's used to burn trash or yard debris, loses the exemption and is enforced as unlawful open burning: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500 per day under Section 8.56.070.G-H.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have a fire pit in unincorporated Washington County?
Can I burn yard waste in my fire pit?
Does a red-flag or burn-ban day override the exemption?
Who enforces the fire pit rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
How Washington County compares: Cities with the Strictest Fire Pit Rules·Compare Washington County to another location·View the Oregon fire regulations overview
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