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Before lighting any outdoor fire
- Refer to the Whatcom County outdoor burning webpage.
- Check the Northwest Clean Air Agency’s current outdoor burn bans.
- Check the AirNow website for current air quality.
- Read the Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Guide to Recreational Fires and Outdoor Fireplaces.
Yard debris and land clearing fires
Washington state law prohibits all yard debris fires and land-clearing fires within the city limits of Bellingham, the Urban Growth Area, and Whatcom County Fire District 8.
Recreational burning
Recreational burning is only allowed when a more restrictive burn ban is not in effect.
Recreational burning includes outdoor fires that
- have a total fuel area of 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height
- are used for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes
- are not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, portable outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill or barbeque pit
- burn only seasoned wood or charcoal.
Laws for recreational fires
- The fire fuel must be seasoned firewood or charcoal only. Burning of garbage, yard debris or construction/demolition lumber and debris is prohibited.
- The fire’s total fuel area must not exceed 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height.
- The fire must be attended at all times and fully extinguished before leaving it.
- Fires must be a minimum of 25 feet away from structures or combustible materials.
- Portable outdoor fireplaces must be no closer than 15 feet from structures or combustible materials.
- Permission from the landowner, or owner’s designated representative, must be obtained prior to starting the recreational fire.
- An adequate means of extinguishing the recreational fire must be immediately available. This could include a charged garden hose, one 4-A portable fire extinguisher, or two 5-gallon buckets of water.
