Bothell, WA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Bothell, WA, also called the burn ban, open burning, or fire restriction ordinance, set when you can burn yard waste, debris, or run a recreational fire.
Key Facts
- Open burning
- Permanently banned, per 1992 Puget Sound agency ban
- Exceptions
- Recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces
- Burn ban in effect
- All fires prohibited, including excepted fires
- Bonfires
- Not allowed
- Burn ban status
- pscleanair.org or (206) 689-4088
- Penalty basis
- Bothell Fee Schedule, applied per day
Summary
In the City of Bothell, Washington, open burning is prohibited under a permanent ban set by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency in September of 1992, with recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces excepted. Bothell Municipal Code § 20.08.057 also makes all fires illegal whenever an air quality or fire danger burn ban is in effect.
A. Subsection 307.1.1, Prohibited Open Burning, is hereby amended to read as follows:307.1.1 Prohibited Open Burning Open burning shall not be conducted at any time in compliance with a permanent ban on open burning established by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency in September of 1992. EXCEPTIONS: 1. Recreational Fires. 2. Portable outdoor fireplaces. ... C. Subsection 307.2.1, Authorization, is hereby deleted and replaced with a new subsection 307.2.1, Bans on Fires Due to Air Quality or Fire Danger, to read as follows:307.2.1 Bans on Fires due to Air Quality or Fire Danger If the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issues a burn ban due to air quality, or if a fire safety burn ban is issued by the Fire Department, then all fires are prohibited. It is the responsibility of the property owner where the fire is to be conducted to ensure no such ban exists prior to starting any fire.
Full Breakdown
Bothell Municipal Code § 20.08.057 amends Chapter 3 of the International Fire Code for the City of Bothell. New Subsection 307.1.1 says open burning shall not be conducted at any time in compliance with a permanent ban on open burning established by the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency in September of 1992. Two exceptions carry through: recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces. Subsection 307.2 adds that a permit is not required for a recreational fire or portable outdoor fireplace.
The temporary layer is Subsection 307.2.1. If the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issues a burn ban due to air quality, or if the Fire Department issues a fire safety burn ban, then all fires are prohibited. That reaches the excepted recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces as well. The code puts the burden on the property owner where the fire is to be conducted, who must ensure no such ban exists before starting any fire. The code's own Point of Information sends residents to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency at www.pscleanair.org or (206) 689-4088 for burn ban status.
Subsection 307.3 gives the Fire Code Official authority to order the extinguishment of a fire when it creates or adds to a hazardous situation, or when a required permit has not been obtained. Subsection 307.4.1 states plainly that bonfires are not allowed. Fires that stay within the exceptions still have location and attendance rules under 307.4.2, 307.4.3 and 307.5, covered on the fire-pit rules page.
The City of Bothell enforces the fire code through its fire prevention and community risk reduction program under Chapter 20.08, and the Bothell Fire Department is the body that can declare a fire safety burn ban.
Violations & Fines
Section 20.08.055(M) amends IFC Subsection 110.4: anyone violating or failing to comply with the fire code, or doing work in violation of approved construction documents, a permit or a directive of the Fire Code Official, is subject to a maximum penalty in the amount established in the Bothell Fee Schedule, adopted by resolution of the City Council, applied per day for each violation from the date set for compliance until compliance is achieved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn yard waste in the City of Bothell?
Who decides when a burn ban is in effect?
Whose job is it to check for a burn ban before lighting a fire?
Can the fire department make me put a fire out?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bothell
How Bothell compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Bothell to another location·View the Washington fire regulations overview
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Outdoor Burning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle outdoor burning.