Lewis County, WA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Lewis 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
- Governing section
- LCC § 15.05.020(f), IFC § 307
- Permit issuer
- County Building Official
- Allowed season
- Oct. 16 - June 30
- Pile size limit
- 10 ft x 10 ft x 6 ft
- Off-season permit
- 48-hour expiration, July 1-Oct 15
- Penalty
- Civil citation or RCW 70.94.430(1)
Summary
Unincorporated Lewis County bans open burning without a permit from the County Building Official as fire code official. Permitted burn piles are capped at 10 by 10 by 6 feet, allowed October 16 through June 30, and barred entirely July 1 through October 15 except under a 48-hour permit.
307.1 General. A person shall not kindle or maintain or authorize to be kindled or maintained any open burning unless conducted and approved in accordance with this section. ... 307.2. ... 2.3 Burn periods and sizes. Outdoor burning regulated by a permit system shall require that only vegetation piles with outside dimensions no greater than 10 feet by 10 feet by 6 feet high shall be allowed during the period from October 16th through June 30th. No fires shall be allowed between the period of July 1st and October 15th, except by a permit system, which shall include a 48-hour expiration on permits ... 307.2.2.9 Penalties. A violation of Section 307, as amended, may subject a person to a civil enforcement under Section 1.20.040 of the Lewis County Code, to criminal citation under the penalties proscribed in RCW 70.94.430(1), and as to any other remedy authorized in Ch. 70.94 RCW.
Full Breakdown
020(f) adopts the 2021 International Fire Code Section 307 with Lewis County amendments, making the County Building Official the fire code official responsible for open burning. 2 requires a Lewis County open burning permit issued by the Building Official for silvicultural, range, wildlife management, disease or pest control fires, or bonfires, applied for by the landowner. Silvicultural burning under Department of Natural Resources rules and agricultural burning under Department of Ecology rules are exempted from the county permit requirement. 3, a permitted burn pile cannot exceed 10 feet by 10 feet by 6 feet high, and that size is only allowed from October 16 through June 30.
From July 1 through October 15, no fires are allowed at all except through a permit system that carries a 48-hour permit expiration and requires day-to-day monitoring of the Building Official's postings on burning restrictions. Material is restricted to natural vegetation grown on the property, with paper allowed only as kindling. The Building Official or the county's Code Compliance Officer can order any open fire immediately discontinued if it becomes hazardous or objectionable, and the Building Official can issue a countywide emergency 'burn ban' that the Board of County Commissioners may extend indefinitely at a public meeting.
Violations & Fines
A violation of IFC Section 307 as amended, per 307.2.2.9, may be enforced civilly under LCC § 1.20.040, or prosecuted as a criminal citation under the penalties in RCW 70.94.430(1) and any other remedy under Chapter 70.94 RCW; a fire agency called to control an illegal or out-of-control fire can also recover its response costs from the responsible person, who remains civilly liable for resulting property damage or injury.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to burn debris in unincorporated Lewis County?
How big can a permitted burn pile be in Lewis County?
Can I burn debris in the summer in unincorporated Lewis County?
What happens if I violate Lewis County's open burning rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lewis County
How Lewis County compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Lewis County to another location·View the Washington fire regulations overview
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