Outdoor and residential burning

We regulate burning of land clearing debris and residential yard waste in counties with no local clean air agency.

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Man burning yard debris — Try composting your yard debris instead of burning it.

Burning garbage or construction debris is illegal. This includes:

Paper, cardboard, or junk mail
Construction debris, lumber, or treated wood
Rubber
Metal
Plastics or petroleum products
Dead animals
Asphalt
Anything that emits toxins or bad odors when burned

You can be fined up to $10,000 per day for illegal burning.

Using a burn barrel is illegal

Burn barrels are illegal. A fire in a burn barrel creates toxic smoke that stays low to the ground. That toxic smoke is bad for your health.

Most burning is illegal in an urban growth area (UGA). An urban growth area is land used for urban development in and around communities. Even if you live outside city limits, you may still live inside an urban growth area. Land outside an urban growth area (like agricultural, rural, and natural land) is protected from urban sprawl. Where you live determines whether you can burn.

Click to open urban growth area interactive map — **Click to open map to check if you're in an urban growth area.**

Check if you are in an urban growth area

Search for an address on the urban growth area map to check if you're in an urban growth area.

Burning outside an urban growth area

If you live outside an urban growth area, you may have limited burning.

Allowed burning includes:

Barbecues. Burn only briquettes, propane, or dry, seasoned firewood.
Campfires. Fire must not be bigger than 3 feet x 3 feet x 2 feet. Burn only dry, seasoned firewood.
Dry yard and garden waste. Fire must not be bigger than 4 feet x 4 feet x 3 feet. Burn only natural, unprocessed vegetation.

You must:

Get permission from your local fire district before you burn.
Keep the fire 50 feet away from any structure.
Attend the fire at all times.
Have water nearby to put out the fire.
Make sure your smoke doesn't affect your neighbors.

Burning inside an urban growth area

If you live inside an urban growth area, you can only have a recreational or tumbleweed fire.

Allowed burning includes:

Barbecues. Burn only briquettes, propane, or dry, seasoned firewood.
Campfires. Fire must not be bigger than 3 feet x 3 feet x 2 feet. Burn only dry, seasoned firewood.
Burning tumbleweed. A burn permit may be required in communities with more than 250,000 people. Check with your local clean air agency.

Before you burn, check if:

What you want to burn is legal (see below).
You need a burn permit.
Burning is allowed in your area (urban growth area).
There is a burn ban.

Alternatives to burning

Grasscycle — Leave grass clippings on your lawn to add nutrients back into the soil for a healthy lawn.
Compost — Break down your yard waste (leaves, grass, prunings) in a bin or a pile to make compost.
Chip — Chip branches and prunings to use in your garden as free mulch.
Curbside pickup — Recycle your yard waste with curbside pickup. Check with your local government or waste management company to see if this is available.
Community or neighborhood cleanup days — Check with your local government to see if your community has a cleanup event to dispose of yard waste.
Landfills — Recycle your yard waste at the landfill or a community drop-off location. Check with your local government or waste management company to see if this is available.

Contact information

Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Okanogan counties
agburnteamcro@ecy.wa.gov
509-575-2490

Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties
agburnteamero@ecy.wa.gov
509-329-3400

San Juan County
sean.lundblad@ecy.wa.gov
360-789-9896

Benton, Spokane, Yakima, and Western Washington counties (other than San Juan County)
Contact your local clean air agency

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Outdoor and residential burning

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Before you burn, check if:

Alternatives to burning

Related links

Contact information