Bellevue, WA Outdoor Cooking: BBQ & Propane Rules (2026)

Bellevue City Code Title 23 adopts the Washington State Fire Code (WAC 51-54A, IFC 2021) with local amendments at BCC 23.11. BCC 23.11.307 amends IFC Section 307 (open burning, recreational fires, portable outdoor fireplaces) to prohibit open burning citywide. IFC Section 308 governs open-flame cooking devices: charcoal grills, hibachis, and LPG/propane appliances must not be operated within 10 feet of combustible construction on or near balconies of Group R-2 (apartments/condos) buildings. On occupied roofs of R-2 buildings the maximum LPG cylinder size is 16.4 oz (1 lb). Single-family use is largely unrestricted as long as manufacturer separation distances are followed; the Bellevue Fire Department recommends grilling on a non-combustible surface and never inside garages or under combustible overhangs. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) may issue Stage 1 and Stage 2 burn bans during air-quality episodes; propane and natural gas appliances are exempt from PSCAA bans because they are clean fuels. Storage of LPG cylinders at residences is limited to 25 lbs aggregate water-capacity outside a building (IFC 6109).