Fire Regulations in Washington (2026)

Auburn bans outdoor fires citywide except for religious or ceremonial fires, firefighting instruction, disease control…

In unincorporated King County parks, campfires and fire pits are allowed only in spots posted and designated for that…

In the City of Shoreline, SMC § 8.12.370 bars igniting or maintaining any fire in a city park area except in a…

Spokane Valley bans open fires in city parks, trails, and open space except inside a designated barbecue unit or a…

Bellevue lets residents burn recreational fires and use portable outdoor fireplaces without a permit, but recreational…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, recreational fires must stay 25 feet from a structure or combustible material, and…

In the City of Burien, Washington, no person can ignite or maintain any fire in a park, including wood, gas or…

Chelan County's fire hazard code defines a lawful "campfire area" as a noncombustible ring no more than 36 inches…

Recreational fires must burn in a metal, stone or masonry-lined pit no larger than 3 feet across and 2 feet high, sit…

In unincorporated Cowlitz County, recreational fire and barbecue pits inside a permitted campground must be affixed to…

Edmonds bans outdoor burning citywide, but exempts small cooking fires burning only charcoal, natural gas, propane or…

Everett allows LP-gas and natural-gas fire pits, fire bowls and fire tables when used as intended, but bars them from…

Recreational fires, campfires, cook fires and bonfires are allowed in unincorporated Grant County under GCC 6.10.050 as…

Grays Harbor County's code does not set a general backyard fire-pit rule for the unincorporated county; the only…

Backyard fires in Kirkland must be under 3 feet wide, 25 feet from structures, clean-wood fueled, and attended until…

A backyard fire pit in unincorporated Lewis County is a 'recreational fire' under the adopted fire code: it must stay…

Backyard recreational fires are allowed in Pierce County without a permit, but only small fires burning clean wood or…

Sammamish allows recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces as exceptions to its open-burning ban, but each has…

SMC 18.12.270 confines fires in Seattle parks to a designated stove or fire ring, or an approved beach-fire area at…

Backyard campfires, cooking fires, and bonfires burning charcoal or bare untreated wood are allowed on private property…

A backyard fire pit or campfire in unincorporated Spokane County is a "recreational fire" under WAC 173-425-030(21) and…

Permanent outdoor fireplaces and barbecues built as part of a new structure inside the Mill Creek Wildfire Protection…

Unincorporated Whatcom County treats a backyard fire pit as a recreational fire under NWCAA Regulation 502: no permit…

Yakima County bans outdoor fires without a written permit under YCC § 13.12.100, but a fire pit, barbecue or fireplace…

A recreational fire in unincorporated Island County can be built without a permit if it stays no bigger than 3 feet…

Mason County treats gas fire pits as 'exempt appliances/devices' under Section 2.162.020, and lets wood or charcoal…

Tacoma requires a Fire Department Bonfire Permit for any outdoor fire whose fuel bed exceeds three feet in diameter or…

Consumer fireworks are legal statewide under RCW 70.77 on specified dates, but sky rockets, missiles, firecrackers, and…

Bellevue bans igniting or discharging any fireworks anywhere in the city at any time under BCC 23.11.5608.2, the city's…

Bellingham bans manufacturing, importing, possessing, selling, transporting, or publicly displaying fireworks citywide…

The City of Bothell, Washington, bans selling fireworks and igniting or discharging them anywhere in the city. Narrow…

In the City of Burien, Washington, selling fireworks is unlawful, and no one may discharge or possess them without a…

Retail fireworks sales in unincorporated Chelan County require a $50 fire marshal permit plus a $300 bond under Section…

Edmonds bans the sale, possession, use, transfer, discharge or ignition of any fireworks within city limits, including…

Everett bans the sale, possession, and discharge of fireworks within city limits: consumer fireworks are allowed only…

Federal Way bans possessing, using, selling, or discharging fireworks of any kind within city limits under FWRC…

Manufacturing, selling, transporting, discharging, storing or using fireworks anywhere in unincorporated Franklin…

Following a 2015 voter referendum, Kent bans the sale, possession, and discharge of consumer fireworks anywhere in the…

Unincorporated King County bans retail fireworks sales outright and bars any use, discharge or display of fireworks…

Kirkland bans the sale, possession, use, and discharge of fireworks citywide. KMC 11.60.020 and 11.60.030 make it…

In the City of Lacey, Washington, consumer fireworks cannot be sold or discharged at any time. Small firework devices…

Lewis County Code § 12.05.090 makes it unlawful to carry or possess fireworks anywhere in a Lewis County park. The ban…

Lynnwood bans the purchase, sale, manufacture, possession, storage, discharge or use of any fireworks within city…

Marysville bans possessing, selling, discharging or igniting any fireworks within city limits under Marysville…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, consumer fireworks cannot be sold or discharged at all. Selling them is a…

Unincorporated Pierce County sharply limits consumer fireworks under PCC 17C.60.230. Discharge is legal only on July 4…

Port Townsend bans selling, discharging, or igniting any fireworks in the city, with only narrow permitted exceptions.

Renton bans the knowing possession, sale, and discharge of all fireworks citywide, effective since May 21, 2005. The…

Shoreline Municipal Code Chapter 9.15 bans selling, possessing, using, transferring, discharging or igniting any…

Spokane Valley bans retail fireworks sales and personal discharge citywide. SVMC § 7.15.030 makes it unlawful to sell…

Tacoma bans the sale, transportation, discharge, storage, and use of consumer fireworks citywide, every day of the…

Yakima voters banned fireworks citywide by special election in 1992, and YMC § 10.15.015 still makes it unlawful to…

Unincorporated Yakima County bans selling, possessing, using or discharging fireworks outright under Yakima County Code…

Auburn limits legal fireworks discharge to 9 a.m.-11 p.m. on July 4th and 6 p.m. December 31st through 1 a.m. January…

Consumer fireworks may only be sold and set off in unincorporated Benton County during two short windows each year…

In unincorporated Clark County, Washington, residents can set off legal consumer fireworks from 9 am to midnight on…

Selling consumer fireworks anywhere in unincorporated Grays Harbor County requires a fireworks stand permit under…

Consumer fireworks may be discharged in unincorporated Kitsap County only on July 4th, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:00…

Lakewood, Washington limits fireworks sales to noon June 28th through 11:00 p.m. July 4th, and discharge to 11:00…

Unincorporated Mason County requires a permit from the fire marshal's office before anyone imports, sells, stores or…

Pasco licenses only 8 retail fireworks sellers and 2 wholesale distributors per year, all limited to temporary stands…

Puyallup allows common fireworks sales only from noon June 28 through 9 p.m. July 4, and discharge only from noon to 11…

Richland issues $100 permits for retail fireworks sales and public displays, requires signed property-owner…

Seattle requires a Fire Department special event permit for a fireworks show: $1,805 for an outdoor use or display…

In unincorporated Walla Walla County, only a permitted fireworks sale stand may sell fireworks, and discharge is legal…

Retail fireworks sales in unincorporated Cowlitz County require a Building and Planning Department permit under CCC §…

Grant County's Fire Marshal issues fireworks permits for the unincorporated county under GCC 6.04.020, following RCW…

In unincorporated Island County, consumer fireworks may only be used July 3 (9 a.m. to 11 p.m.), July 4 (9 a.m. to…

In unincorporated Skagit County it is unlawful to sell fireworks at retail except between June 15 and July 9 each year…

In unincorporated Snohomish County, consumer fireworks may be discharged only from 9:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on July 4…

Consumer fireworks are banned in unincorporated Spokane County under Spokane County Code Chapter 3.17: no sale…

Thurston County restricts consumer fireworks to two dates a year: discharge is legal only from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on…

Consumer fireworks are legal in unincorporated Whatcom County only on July 3-5 and December 31, within set hours…

Bellevue requires owners and occupants to cut and remove weeds, grass, vines or other growth capable of igniting on…

In the Icicle Valley design review overlay district near Leavenworth, unincorporated Chelan County requires every…

Clark County recommends a 30-foot defensible space cleared of flammable vegetation around your house, with firewood and…

Franklin County's amended fire code sets exact clearance distances for storing hay, straw, and similar agricultural…

Unincorporated King County lets homeowners clear brush and prune trees near a house for wildfire safety without a…

In the City of Lacey, Washington, Lacey Municipal Code § 9.52.010(F) makes dry grass, weeds, shrubs, trees or other…

Port Townsend's nuisance code makes it illegal to let dry vegetation pile up in a way that endangers property or…

Snohomish County has no single 'clear your brush' ordinance countywide, but the 2021 Washington Wildland-Urban…

Spokane County has no single fixed defensible-space clearance distance for all homes, but Washington DNR can require…

New structures built inside the Mill Creek Wildfire Protection Area of unincorporated Walla Walla County must keep a…

Washington's Clean Air Act (RCW 70A.15) bans outdoor burning in urban growth areas and most cities. The Department of…

Open burning is banned at all times in Bellevue under a permanent Puget Sound Clean Air Agency ban dating to September…

Once a fire hazard area is declared, Section 7.52.040 bans all land clearing and yard-debris burning outright and…

Burning garbage, rubbish, or other solid waste that could cause a health hazard or nuisance is unlawful in…

Edmonds makes it unlawful to engage in outdoor burning anywhere within city limits, notwithstanding any other code…

Outdoor burning of yard debris and trash is banned year-round in Kirkland under PSCAA Regulation I and RCW 70.94; only…

PMC 8.05.230 bars all outdoor burning in Pasco unless it is specifically allowed under Regulation 1 of the…

Outdoor burning in Pierce County is regulated by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which bans all land-clearing fires…

Renton prohibits open burning outright under Fire Code Section 307.1 as locally amended, aligning with Puget Sound…

In the City of Richland, Washington, burning wastepaper, boxes, rubbish and debris at a residence is flatly prohibited…

Open burning has been banned in Sammamish at all times since the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's permanent 1992 ban…

Outdoor burning is banned at all times in the City of Shoreline under SMC § 15.05.050(J), which amends International…

Outdoor burning is permanently banned in every Whatcom County city and urban growth area, including Bellingham…

Auburn bans all outdoor fires unless they fall into a short, enumerated list, and even those require a written permit…

Unincorporated Benton County bans outdoor and agricultural burning whenever the Fire Marshal rates fire danger High…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, open burning is prohibited under a permanent ban set by the Puget Sound Air…

Unincorporated Grant County runs an automatic outdoor burning restriction every year from June 1 through September 30…

Burning outdoors in Kent without a valid fire permit violates Kent City Code 9.02.400, which adopts RCW Chapter 52.12…

Unincorporated Lewis County bans open burning without a permit from the County Building Official as fire code official…

Unincorporated Walla Walla County bans burning garbage, treated wood, plastics, tires and other listed materials…

Yakima Municipal Code Section 4.16.160 bans burning wastepaper, boxes, rubbish, debris, brush, grass, leaves, weeds…

On land the Washington Department of Natural Resources protects within Yakima County, from orchard slash to logging…

Residential and land-clearing burning is permanently banned inside city limits and urban growth areas (Vancouver…

Unincorporated Franklin County splits into an urban zone (Pasco and urban growth areas) and a nonurban zone for…

Unincorporated Island County requires a permit from the Health Services Director for residential burning, bonfires, and…

Mason County requires either a written permit or compliance with a general rule burn program for outdoor fires under…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, Olympia Municipal Code § 13.12.080 makes it unlawful to burn garbage or refuse…

Anyone burning outside a city or town in unincorporated Skagit County needs a written burning permit from the county…

Land-clearing burning is permanently banned countywide. Residential yard-waste burning (pile no larger than 4x4x3 feet)…

Burning yard and garden debris is NOT allowed for most residents of Spokane County. Burning garbage and burn barrels…

Washington adopted the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code statewide under RCW 19.27.560, effective July 1…

The Board of County Commissioners divides unincorporated Chelan County into two wildfire danger zones, a Valley Zone…

Bellevue adopts the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code by reference alongside the 2021 International Fire…

Unincorporated Cowlitz County adopts the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code and rates every area of the…

Edmonds has adopted the 2021 International Wildland Urban Interface Code, as amended by the state Building Code…

Grant County enforces the International Wildland Urban Interface Code countywide under GCC Chapter 15.05, with a local…

Unincorporated King County allows limited tree and brush clearing near homes for wildfire preparedness without a…

Kirkland applies the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code to construction within its wildland-urban…

Unincorporated Mason County regulates wildfire risk to structures through the 2021 International Wildland-Urban…

Port Townsend enforces the International Wildland Urban Interface Code, adopted into its building code to set…

Renton adopted the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code at RMC 4-5-063, applying construction, alteration…

Washington's Wildland-Urban Interface Code applies to parcels mapped high or very-high wildfire hazard. On those…

Spokane County Code Chapter 3.16 sets wildfire-hardening construction standards for every home built in the…

New structures built within the Mill Creek Wildfire Protection Area of unincorporated Walla Walla County must use…

Unincorporated Yakima County adopts the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code and maps every parcel into a…

Auburn follows the 2021 IFC under ACC 15.36. Smoke alarms required in each bedroom, outside sleep areas, every level…

Bellevue follows Washington State Building Code requiring smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on…

Federal Way enforces WAC 51-51-0314 via FWRC 13.22. Smoke alarms required in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and…

Kent requires working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every level. Landlords must install…

Smoke alarms required in all King County dwellings per WA Building Code (RCW 19.27, IRC R314). New construction needs…

Bellingham inspects every short-term rental before licensing and requires an interconnected smoke alarm in each bedroom…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Bothell Municipal Code § 20.08.061 amends International Fire Code Section 907.2.10…

In unincorporated Chelan County, every bedroom used inside a short-term rental must carry a working smoke alarm in the…

Washington law (RCW 43.44.110) requires smoke detection devices in all dwelling units. The owner is responsible for…

Grays Harbor County requires every short-term rental dwelling in the unincorporated area to have working smoke and…

Kirkland requires working smoke alarms in every bedroom and on every level, plus CO alarms outside sleeping areas…

Kitsap County requires owners of existing multi-family Group R, Division 1 buildings, hotels, motels, apartments…

In the City of Lacey, Washington, single or multiple-station smoke alarms must be installed and maintained in Groups…

Before a manufactured home lacking a Washington L&I or HUD insignia, but proven to have stood in Marysville since…

Pasco requires interconnected smoke alarms between an accessory dwelling unit and the primary residence when an…

Washington law (RCW 43.44.110) requires smoke detection devices in all dwelling units. In Pierce County rentals, the…

Port Townsend enforces smoke alarm standards through its locally adopted 2021 International Residential and Fire Codes…

Puyallup Chapter 16.12 adopts Washington's smoke detector statute and administrative rules for dwelling units by…

Table 20.05.020 under RMC § 20.05.020 requires a single-station smoke alarm in every R3 occupancy, meaning…

Sammamish's locally adopted Building and Property Maintenance Code requires smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each…

Seattle's housing code makes landlords install smoke detectors within 4 to 12 inches of the ceiling inside and outside…

In the City of Shoreline, Group R-2 apartment buildings must have fire alarm and smoke alarm systems installed under…

Washington law requires smoke detection devices inside all dwelling units. Owners must install them; tenants must…

Washington's smoke detector law, RCW 43.44.110, requires a working smoke detection device in every dwelling unit rented…

Tacoma requires smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway outside sleeping areas, and each story of existing Group R and…

Every manufactured or mobile home installed in Thurston County must have an approved smoke detector meeting…

Walla Walla County requires any dwelling or accessory building moved into the unincorporated area to meet current fire…

Existing homes and apartments in unincorporated Yakima County must have smoke alarms in every sleeping area, on each…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 16.04.410(B) requires an approved smoke detector in every mobile/manufactured…

Washington adopts the International Fire Code statewide under RCW 19.27.031, including NFPA 58 standards for liquefied…

Bulk liquefied petroleum gas storage is restricted countywide in unincorporated Benton County under BCC 3.16.025, which…

In the City of Lacey, Washington, the limits in Section 6104.2 of the International Fire Code, where liquefied…

In the City of Olympia, Washington, bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas, meaning single or multiple containers…

Tacoma's Fire Code amendment bans storing liquefied petroleum gas in containers or tanks citywide unless the…

Auburn's fire code amendment, ACC 15.36A.051, requires LP-gas containers of 125 gallons or more to be anchored or…

Bellevue's amended Fire Code caps aggregate liquefied petroleum gas storage at any single installation at 2,000 gallons…

Bellingham applies the International Fire Code's liquefied-petroleum-gas storage restriction to nearly every developed…

In the City of Bothell, Washington, Bothell Municipal Code § 20.08.067 amends International Fire Code Section 6104.2 to…

Chelan County's amended fire code bans charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies…

In unincorporated Cowlitz County, bulk liquefied petroleum gas storage is confined to property zoned Neighborhood…

Everett caps liquefied petroleum gas storage at any one installation to 2,000 gallons of water capacity under its fire…

Federal Way regulates residential propane and LP-gas installations through the adopted International Residential Code…

In unincorporated Franklin County, the county has designated every residentially zoned parcel as a geographic limit…

Island County doesn't print its own propane storage limits; it adopts the standard by reference. Section…

Kirkland limits the total propane (LP-gas) stored at any single installation to an aggregate water capacity of 2,000…

Pasco regulates propane and other liquefied-petroleum gas installations by adopting NFPA 58, the Liquefied Petroleum…

Richland restricts how much liquefied petroleum gas any property can store, tying the limit to the storage thresholds…

Shoreline adopts the International Mechanical Code for LP-gas installations but swaps in a stricter standard: SMC §…

In special flood hazard areas of unincorporated Skagit County, SCC 14.34.150(6)(c) requires every above-ground propane…

Snohomish County has adopted the 2018 International Fire Code (SCC 30.53A.010), which governs liquefied-petroleum…

Thurston County requires an operational permit under Fire Code § [A] 105.6.27 before installing any LP-gas system…

Recreational vehicles used as a primary residence in a mobile or manufactured home park in unincorporated Walla Walla…

Unincorporated Whatcom County lets homeowners keep a propane tank up to 500 gallons in the front-yard setback, but only…

Yakima County requires a Fire Code permit before installing, modifying or using an LP-gas system, but exempts small…