Sammamish, WA Outdoor Cooking: Smoker Rules (2026)

Backyard smokers are permitted in Sammamish for outdoor cooking. Eastside Fire & Rescue, the fire authority serving the city, treats smokers and barbecues as manufactured cooking devices, which do not require a burn permit. Because a smoker burns charcoal, wood pellets, or seasoned wood for cooking rather than disposing of yard waste or trash, it is allowed even though Sammamish lies within the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's urbanized area where yard-waste burning is banned. Eastside Fire & Rescue specifies that cooking and recreational fires must consist solely of charcoal or seasoned natural wood, so smoker users should use clean, dry hardwood, charcoal, or food-grade wood pellets and never burn trash, treated lumber, plastics, or yard debris. The same general safety expectations as backyard fires apply: the smoker should be attended while in use, kept a safe distance from structures and combustible materials, and operated so smoke does not become a nuisance for neighbors, which can be addressed under the city's nuisance provisions. During PSCAA air-quality burn bans, cooking with propane or natural gas appliances generally remains allowed; however, residents should verify the terms of any active ban, since solid-fuel devices may be more restricted than gas during severe air-quality episodes. For larger or commercial smokers and outdoor cooking operations, the 2021 Washington State Fire Code adopted under SMC 16.05.130 may impose additional requirements, and businesses should consult Eastside Fire & Rescue.