King County Fire Chiefs Issue Stage Two Fire Safety Burn BanEffective Friday, September 9th, the King County Fire Chiefs have issued a ‘Stage two’ fire safety burn ban which prohibits recreational fires until further notice. This means all outdoor fires, including recreational campfires, cooking fires, and ceremonial fires, are prohibited until further notice due to critical fire weather.
The Stage 2 burn ban is in response to the fire safety Red Flag Warning issued today by the National Weather Service covering all of King County and the Puget Sound Region. The King County Fire Chiefs, King County Fire Marshals, and jurisdictions throughout King County have joined together to issue a stage two burn ban covering all parts of King County. “This ban will be in place until further notice due to the continuing hot and dry weather conditions we are experiencing,” said Kirkland Fire Marshal Mark Jung, speaking on behalf of the King County Fire Marshals Association. “The fire marshals are carefully monitoring the fuel moisture content and energy release component of wildland fuels in the area. When these measures return to more typical values, the ban will be terminated.” While all outdoor fires are banned, propane or natural-gas fired grills, fireplaces, fire tables, other gas-fired appliances and charcoal grills may continue to be used. Fire marshals urge caution when disposing of charcoal remains. OUTDOOR BURNINGIn unincorporated King County, burning to clear residential land and burning yard debris are allowed only when no fire safety burn ban has been issued. A burn permit from your local fire district may be required.
Department of Local Services, Permitting Division 35030 SE Douglas Street, Suite 210 Snoqualmie, WA 98065-9266 Our staff members are working remotely. Permitting services are available on this website and MyBuildingPermit.com. For details, see our Customer Service Bulletin. Outdoor FiresState law prohibits outdoor fires in urbanized areas (incorporated cities, suburbs and adjacent areas). The cities of Burien and Normandy Park are located within this mandated no-burn zone. State law allows only Native American ceremonial fires and very small recreational fires inside no-burn areas:
Native American Ceremonial Fires State law defines these as fires "necessary for Native American ceremonies (i.e., conducted by and for Native Americans) if part of a religious ritual." If you wish to have Native American ceremonial fire outside of tribal lands, you must have a permit from the local fire district. These permits will not be granted during air-quality burn bans and fire-safety burn bans. Recreational Fires These are defined in state law as cooking fires, campfires and bonfires that occur in designated areas or on private property for cooking, pleasure or ceremonial purposes. These fires must be no larger than three feet in diameter and two feet high. You can use only charcoal, dried firewood or manufactured firelogs. Any other fuel is prohibited. Recreational fires are always prohibited during air-quality burn bans. Check with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to see what the current Burn Ban status is. Fires lit in chimneys, fire pits, fire bowls and similar free-standing devices, commonly sold at home-improvement stores and mass retailers, are also considered “recreational” and should also only use charcoal, dried firewood or manufactured firelogs (some brands make outdoor-specific firelogs). Other general requirements for a recreational fire, as stated in WAC 173-425-050(6) and IFC, section 307, state that:
It's always illegal to smoke out your neighbor. If smoke from your fire bothers your neighbors, damages their property or otherwise causes a nuisance, you must immediately put it out. If enforcement is required, you could be fined up to $13,000 per day. It's always illegal to use a BURN BARREL. It's always illegal to burn prohibited materials. These materials include:
Registering Complaints To register a complaint about wood smoke from fireplaces and wood stoves, and for all other air quality complaints, visit www.pscleanair.org/contact/Pages/complaint.aspx. If you have any questions, call 1-800-552-3565 (Washington only). The above regulations are only a summary. For more information on these regulations, to find out ways to dispose of yard waste, and for a list of useful links for homeowners and businesses, please visit the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency web site on Facts About Outdoor Burning, or visit the links below. |
Useful Links
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King County Fire District #2
900 SW 146th St. Burien, WA 98166 |
OFFICE HOURS:
MON – FRI 9am – 5pm |
WEBSITE © KCFD #2, 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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