Shoreline, WA Fire Regulations: Outdoor Burning (2026)
Outdoor burning rules in Shoreline, 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
- Rule
- Outdoor burning banned at all times
- Source of ban
- Puget Sound Clean Air Agency permanent ban
- Burn ban hotline
- 1-800-595-4341
- Agency phone
- (206) 323-8800
- Related exception
- Limited indoor open-flame devices under § 15.05.050(K)
Summary
Outdoor burning is banned at all times in the City of Shoreline under SMC § 15.05.050(J), which amends International Fire Code Section 307.1.1 to enforce the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's permanent burn ban rather than setting a seasonal or conditional local limit.
J. Section 307.1.1 is amended to read as follows: 307.1.1 Prohibited outdoor burning. Outdoor burning shall not be conducted at any time in compliance with a permanent ban on outdoor burning established by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. For air quality and burn ban status information and regulations, contact the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency at www.pscleanair.org or (206) 323-8800; Air Quality Burn Ban Hotline 1-800-595-4341.
Full Breakdown
SMC § 15.05.050(J) amends IFC Section 307.1.1, Prohibited outdoor burning, to state that outdoor burning shall not be conducted at any time in compliance with a permanent ban on outdoor burning established by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. That wording ties Shoreline's fire code directly to the regional clean air agency's rule rather than setting its own separate schedule, so there is no seasonal window, no small-yard-debris exception, and no recreational fire carve-out written into the city's own code; any exception comes from whatever the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's burn ban regulations allow.
The amended section directs residents to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency directly for air quality and burn ban status information, listing its website, a general phone line at (206) 323-8800, and an Air Quality Burn Ban Hotline at 1-800-595-4341. A separate fire code amendment, SMC § 15.05.050(K), amending IFC Section 308.3, still allows limited open-flame devices such as candles on stable, noncombustible bases, gas lights with adequate precautions, and ceremonial or religious flames under Section 308.1.7, but those exceptions apply to indoor Group A occupancies and do not reopen the outdoor burning ban.
Because enforcement of the burn ban is tied to the regional agency's own permanent prohibition, any change to when or whether burning is allowed in Shoreline comes from a Puget Sound Clean Air Agency rule change, not a seasonal city ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Conducting outdoor burning in Shoreline violates SMC § 15.05.050(J) and is enforceable under SMC § 20.30.770: a Class 1 civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW, or, for willful violations, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail, with each week of continued violation a separate offense; the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency may pursue its own separate air-quality penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is any outdoor burning allowed in Shoreline?
Who do I contact about Shoreline's burn ban?
Can I still use candles or a gas light outdoors?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shoreline
How Shoreline compares: Cities with the Strictest Outdoor Burning Rules·Compare Shoreline 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.