Issaquah, WA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)

IMC 8.08.020 sets the default: no outdoor burning is permitted within the City limits except what IMC 8.08.030 allows, and only after the Fire Department issues a permit, unless the fire is exempt under IMC 8.08.050. The chapter's stated purpose in IMC 8.08.010 is to eliminate potentially dangerous accumulations of combustible materials and to assist the City in eliminating unlawful, unnecessary and indiscriminate burning.

Only two kinds of fire qualify for a permit under IMC 8.08.030: fires for the destruction of natural vegetation that has been cut and stacked as a result of a single, residential yard cleanup, and fires for ceremonial rites or large outdoor gatherings involving a controlled bonfire.

The applicant files with the Fire Department and lists the type of materials to be burned, the location of the fire, and the individuals designated as responsible for controlling it. The application also carries a signed statement that the applicant will follow all outdoor burning regulations in the code, including Chapter 16.06 IMC, that no outdoor burning will be left unattended or permitted later than 1 hour after sunset, and that protection against fire spread will be provided in a manner approved by the Fire Chief. IMC 8.08.040(B) says no fee is required. The permit must be available for inspection throughout the period the permit is issued and burning is in progress, and the Fire Department sets an effective period that cannot exceed 30 days. Any burning after that date requires a separate permit.

A valid permit does not guarantee a burn day. Under IMC 8.08.040(E), regardless of any established permit period, the Fire Department has the authority to forbid, restrict or suspend any and all burning when the Fire Chief has determined that weather conditions are unfavorable or hazardous for outdoor fires.

IMC 8.08.050 exempts two categories from the permit process: contained cooking fires, and fire in outdoor firepits or fireplaces.