Fire safety burn bans and air quality burn bans

Fire safety burn bans

King County, together with Pierce County, Kitsap County, Mason County, and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, declares a ban on outdoor burning when the fire danger reaches a critical level.

Air quality burn bans

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency declares a ban on outdoor and/or indoor burning when air quality reaches a critical level. To determine if there is an air quality burn ban, go to www.pscleanair.org (external link).

Fire danger burn ban status: King County lifts burn ban effective Sep. 5, 2008, 8 a.m.

In concert with Pierce County, Kitsap County, Mason County, and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, King County lifted the burn ban effective Friday, September 5, 2008, at 8 a.m.

Please refer to the DDES burn ban news release for detailed information.

General information about burn bans and burn permits

To check the latest burn ban information, call 1-800-323-BURN. For burn ban information specific to unincorporated King County, check DDES' news releases as DDES will issue a news release when there is a change in burn ban status.

When necessary, the King County Fire Marshal Division imposes a fire safety burn ban in areas outside the jurisdiction of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (external link). The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is the air quality authority for the greater Puget Sound area and restricts burning in more urban, densely populated areas.

Burn permits

Burning in King County, outside the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency boundaries, requires a permit from your local fire district and certain regulations apply.

The King County Fire Marshal Division does NOT issue burn permits. Contact your local fire district about burn permits. Non-emergency contact information for local fire districts is available on the King County Office of Emergency Management's Web site.

There may be restrictions which prevent a fire district from issuing a burn permit. As a general rule, burn permits cannot be issued in areas designated as urban zones.

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