Grant County, WA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- GCC 15.05, Wildland Urban Interface Code
- Trigger
- exterior wall over 150 ft from fire access road
- Turnout required
- driveways over 300 ft
- Turnaround required
- driveways over 500 ft
- Driveway width
- 20 ft up to 500 ft, 26 ft beyond
- Enforcing agency
- Grant County Fire Marshal
Summary
Grant County enforces the International Wildland Urban Interface Code countywide under GCC Chapter 15.05, with a local amendment to Section 403.2 that sets driveway length, width, and turnaround rules for homes built more than 150 feet from a fire apparatus access road.
Section 403.2 Driveways is amended as follows: Access driveways shall be provided where any portion of an exterior wall of the first story of the building is located more than one hundred fifty feet from a fire apparatus access road. Driveways in excess of three hundred feet in length shall be provided with turnouts and driveways in excess of five hundred feet in length shall be provided with turnarounds.
Full Breakdown
2 of that code. Access driveways are required whenever any exterior wall of a building's first story sits more than 150 feet from a fire apparatus access road. Driveways longer than 300 feet must include a turnout, and driveways longer than 500 feet must include a full turnaround. 030 set the dimensions: a driveway between 151 and 300 feet needs a 20-foot width with no turnout required; one between 301 and 500 feet needs the same 20-foot width plus a 70-foot minimum turnout; and one over 500 feet needs a 26-foot width plus a 120-foot hammerhead, a 60-foot 'Y', or a 96-foot-diameter cul-de-sac.
04, which require NFPA 1142 or Wildland Urban Interface Code flow calculations for commercial buildings and residences over 3,600 square feet, with an approved sprinkler system cutting the required flow by half for residential projects and by three-quarters for commercial ones. The Grant County Fire Marshal's office handles plan review and inspection for Title 15.
Violations & Fines
Violating the driveway or fire-flow standards in Chapter 15 is enforced through GCC 1.32: the fire marshal's office or code enforcement can issue a citation carrying a $500 fine per occurrence, with repeat-violation fines climbing to $1,000 and $2,000 within a 24-month window, on top of any required construction fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Grant County have a wildfire-zone building code?
How long can my driveway be before I need a turnout or turnaround?
What turnaround options satisfy the 500-foot rule?
Who enforces the wildland-urban interface driveway rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grant County
Compare Grant County to another location·View the Washington fire regulations overview
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