Spokane County, WA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered devices
- Charcoal or wood smokers, grills, BBQs
- No-permit size cap
- 3 ft diameter, 2 ft height
- Banned fuel
- Garbage, treated wood, plastics, debris
- Nuisance smoke
- Unlawful if it harms health or property
- Civil penalty
- Up to $10,000 per day
- Extinguish duty
- Immediate, once burning ruled unlawful
Summary
A charcoal or wood-fired smoker, grill or barbecue used for cooking on private property in unincorporated Spokane County counts as a "recreational fire" under WAC 173-425-030(21), the same state outdoor-burning rule that covers campfires. That means the same fuel-area size trigger for a permit, the same list of fuels you cannot burn, and the same duty to stop if your smoke becomes a nuisance.
(16)"Outdoor burning" means the combustion of material of any type in an open fire or in an outdoor container without providing for the control of combustion or the control of emissions from the combustion...(21)"Recreational fire" means cooking fires, campfires, and bonfires using charcoal or firewood that occur in designated areas or on private property for cooking, pleasure, or ceremonial purposes. Fires used for debris disposal purposes are not considered recreational fires. (1) Prohibited materials. The following materials may not be burned in any outdoor fire: Garbage, dead animals, asphalt, petroleum products, paints, rubber products, plastics, paper (other than what is necessary to start a fire), cardboard, treated wood, construction/demolition debris, metal, or any substance (other than natural vegetation) that normally releases toxic emissions, dense smoke, or obnoxious odors when burned.
Full Breakdown
WAC 173-425-030(16) defines "outdoor burning" broadly as the combustion of material of any type in an open fire or outdoor container without controlling the combustion or its emissions, and subsection (21) folds cooking fires that use charcoal or firewood into the narrower "recreational fire" category, whether the purpose is cooking, pleasure or ceremony. A charcoal smoker or wood-fired grill on a Spokane County patio fits squarely inside that definition. WAC 173-425-050(1) then bans burning garbage, dead animals, plastics, treated wood, construction or demolition debris, or any material other than natural vegetation that produces toxic emissions or dense smoke, which reaches anyone tempted to burn trash or scrap lumber to start or feed a smoker.
If the cooking fire's total fuel area runs larger than three feet across or two feet high, WAC 173-425-060(2)(i) requires a burn permit before lighting it, the identical threshold that applies to a backyard fire pit; Spokane County's unincorporated population is far above the 50,000-population line that would otherwise exempt small rural counties. Smoke that drifts onto a neighbor's property is not a free pass either: WAC 173-425-050(4) makes it unlawful to cause or allow outdoor burning, including a smoker, that emits smoke or another air contaminant detrimental to a person's health, safety or welfare, that damages property, or that creates a nuisance, and anyone affected may file a complaint with the enforcing agency.
Violations & Fines
A smoker or grill fire that violates the fuel, size or nuisance-smoke rules can draw a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day under RCW 70A.15.3160(1)(a). Once a complaint is filed or the burning is found unlawful under WAC 173-425-050(4), the person responsible must extinguish the fire immediately regardless of whether cooking is finished, and repeated nuisance smoke complaints can trigger enforcement by the permitting or enforcing agency with jurisdiction over the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my backyard smoker regulated the same as a fire pit in Spokane County?
Can I burn scrap wood or cardboard to start my smoker?
Can a neighbor complain about my smoker's smoke?
Do propane or gas grills fall under this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington outdoor cooking overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.