Cowlitz County, WA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Cowlitz County, 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
- Banned
- Burning garbage or rubbish outside a permitted facility
- Land-clearing debris
- Only under SW WA Air Pollution Control Authority rules
- Governing statute
- Chapter 70.94 RCW, state Clean Air Act
- Enforcing department
- Cowlitz County Department of Building and Planning
- Penalty track
- Civil infraction, escalating to misdemeanor for repeats
Summary
Burning garbage, rubbish, or other solid waste that could cause a health hazard or nuisance is unlawful in unincorporated Cowlitz County unless it happens in a permitted facility. Land-clearing debris may only be burned under conditions set by the Southwest Washington Air Pollution Control Authority under Chapter 70.94 RCW.
It shall be unlawful for any person to burn solid waste that may cause a health hazard or nuisance, including garbage or rubbish, unless these materials are burned in an appropriate permitted facility. Land-clearing debris may be burned at certain times and under specific conditions specified by the Southwest Washington Air Pollution Control Authority and local fire control agencies, in accordance with Chapter 70.94 RCW.
Full Breakdown
260(D), part of the Solid Waste Management chapter's general requirements adopted by Ordinance 04-061, makes it unlawful for any person to burn solid waste that may cause a health hazard or nuisance, including garbage or rubbish, unless the burning happens in an appropriately permitted facility. 30. 94 RCW, Washington's Clean Air Act. In practice, a resident clearing brush or trees cannot simply light a debris pile without checking current burn conditions and any permit or notification the Air Pollution Control Authority requires, while ordinary household garbage and rubbish burning is barred outright regardless of air-quality conditions.
The same general requirements section also bars any nuisance odor from waste storage, handling, or disposal that is injurious to health or unreasonably interferes with others' enjoyment of their property, reinforcing that open burning of waste is treated as both a fire-safety and an air-quality problem. 220 for repeat offenders or where civil enforcement proves ineffective.
Violations & Fines
Burning garbage or rubbish outside a permitted facility, or burning land-clearing debris without following Southwest Washington Air Pollution Control Authority conditions under Chapter 70.94 RCW, is a civil infraction under CCC § 15.30.280 and Chapter 2.06 CCC. Repeat violations, or cases where civil penalties aren't working, can bring criminal misdemeanor penalties under CCC § 15.30.220.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn household garbage in a burn barrel in unincorporated Cowlitz County?
What about burning brush or trees I've cleared from my land?
Who enforces the open burning rule and what's the penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cowlitz County
How Cowlitz County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Cowlitz County to another location·View the Washington fire regulations overview
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