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Effective 2:00 PM, Thursday, August 6th, all open burning is prohibited within Bellingham city limits until further notice. This ban is in conjunction with a statewide burn ban by the Department of Natural Resources for all state-protected lands, as well as an increase in the fire danger rating to HIGH for Whatcom County. This ban also matches the burn ban being implemented throughout unincorporated Whatcom County.
All outdoor burning is prohibited during this ban. This includes recreational fires.
Commercially-available barbecues will still be allowed, but care should be used in the disposal of any charcoal and ashes. Charcoal and ash should be discarded in a metal container and doused with water. The container should be located a minimum of 10 feet from any structures or combustible vegetation for 72 hours. Fire pits or similar enclosures, with or without grates, are NOT considered the equivalent of commercially-available barbecues and are prohibited during this burn ban
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.
