Washington County, OR Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)

Community Development Code Section 428 applies forest structure siting and fire safety standards to all new dwellings and structures, including replacement dwellings and residential, agricultural and forestry accessory structures, sited in the county's EFC zoning district. Section 428-1 states the purpose plainly: siting structures compatibly with forest operations and agriculture, minimizing wildfire hazards and risks, and conserving forest land values. 1 sets concrete siting distances: part or all of a new dwelling must sit within 300 feet of the public road providing access, and where no other dwelling stands within 500 feet of a side, street-side or rear property line, the entire dwelling must be located at least 200 feet from that line, positioned nearest the side with fire protection services.

Dwellings must also sit at least 125 feet from a riparian corridor. A requires that dwellings be located on a parcel within a fire protection district, or covered by a contract for residential fire protection, before a Type I permit issues; the Oregon Department of Forestry does not count as a qualifying fire protection district. 2 further requires proof of an authorized domestic water source under Oregon Department of Water Resources rules. Critically, Section 428-2 bars any variance or adjustment to reduce these dimensional standards, and any dwelling or structure that cannot meet the Type I standards must instead go through a discretionary Type II procedure and satisfy the added standards of Section 428-4.