Fire Safety and Building Codes

King County does not issue outdoor burn permits. Direct your inquiry to your local fire district. 

For the status of air quality burn bans, check the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Air Quality Burn Ban Status.

Recreational fire rules

• Must be built in a metal or concrete fire pit
• Not grow larger than 3-feet in diameter
• Be set in a clear spot free from vegetation for at least 10-feet in width
• Be at least 25-feet from any structure
• Allow 20-foot high clearance from overhanging branches
• Be watched at all times by an alert person with equipment capable of putting the fire out

Burning yard waste

King County does not issue burn permits. Contact your local fire district. Restrictions such as burn bans may prevent a fire district from issuing a burn permit. Burn permits cannot be issued in areas designated as urban zones.

King County's Solid Waste Division provides alternatives to burning wood and yard waste. Contact them at 206-296-4466.

Tools and Resources

• Air Quality Burn Ban Status.
• Fire Investigation
• Emergency Management - Fire
• Fire permits
• Sprinkler Systems
• Fuel tank installation, relocation, decommisioning
• Code enforcement
• Check jurisdiction and zoning
• Schedule an Inspection