Washington Fire Pit Codes, Permits and Clearances

Statewide Rules

Washington has a statewide fire code. For a backyard fire pit it is the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by the State Building Code Council with Washington amendments. The state also has an outdoor burning rule of its own. Both apply to a wood or charcoal fire, and the burning rule's 50 ft is the larger distance. Burn restrictions come from several authorities, and no statewide rule says whether a gas fire pit is exempt from them.

The Adopted Code

The state building code is "in effect in all counties and cities" and includes "The International Fire Code, published by the International Code Council, Inc." The Council adopts and amends the model codes on a three-year cycle.

The 2021 edition of the International Fire Code "is hereby adopted by reference with the following additions, deletions, and exceptions." It became effective in all counties and cities of the state on March 15, 2024.

A 2024 Edition Is Proposed

The Council has proposed adopting the 2024 IFC. It targets final adoption on October 16, 2026 and says the 2024 codes take effect May 3, 2027. Nothing was final on the day we checked, so the 2021 edition is the one in force, and every figure on this page is the 2021 edition's.

"Final adoption for these codes is targeted for October 16, 2026." The announcement adds: "The effective date of the 2024 codes will be May 3, 2027."

The proposal moves the implementation date in WAC 51-54A-008 from March 15, 2024 to May 3, 2027. Its one change to WAC 51-54A-0307 is to 307.4.2, described as "Editorial for consistency with model code."

Section 307 as Washington Adopted It

Washington changes Section 307 only to point readers to chapter 173-425 WAC, the state outdoor burning rule. The distances are the model code's, and the pointer matters, because that rule sets a larger one (see Air Rules below).

Recreational fires shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible material. Conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.

Portable outdoor fireplaces must be used per the manufacturer's instructions and not operated within 15 ft of a structure or combustible material. One- and two-family dwellings are excepted. Fires must be constantly attended until extinguished, with a 4-A extinguisher or other approved equipment, such as a garden hose, on hand.

The IFC defines a portable outdoor fireplace as solid-fuel-burning. Its definition of a recreational fire speaks of burning materials and never mentions gas. We found no IFC section that sets a fixed distance for a gas fire feature, so its clearance comes from its listing and your unit's installation manual.

Open burning needs an operational permit, with this exception: "Recreational fires."

Washington's Gas Fire Table Amendment

Washington adds a section of its own for gas-fired fire tables. It was already in the rule that took effect with the 2021 code on March 15, 2024, and Seattle's 2021 fire code prints the same text. A correction effective April 17, 2026 (WSR 26-07-072) restored a different line in the same rule, Washington's non-adoption of 308.1.4 on open-flame cooking devices, and left 308.1.9 as it was.

Gas-fired portable or fixed open flame fire tables and fireplaces are required to be provided with approved protection devices to prevent occupants from using flame, and from flame being exposed to combustible material. A fire extinguisher shall be located within 75 feet of travel distance or as approved.

The section names no occupancy and has no exception for one- and two-family homes, and it sits under Section 308.1, which governs open flame "on all premises." Nothing in its text leaves out a gas fire table on a home patio. It does not say what counts as an approved protection device, and we found no state or city guidance on what fire marshals accept at a home. Ask yours before you plan a gas fire table near seating.

Air Rules for Backyard Fires

The state outdoor burning rule, chapter 173-425 WAC, applies to all outdoor burning in the state except agricultural and silvicultural burning and burning on reservation land, and it lists recreational fires among the burning it covers. It defines a recreational fire by its fuel, charcoal or firewood.

No outdoor fire may be ignited where Ecology has declared an air pollution episode, where Ecology or a local air authority has declared impaired air quality, or where "The appropriate fire protection authority has declared a fire danger burn ban, unless that authority grants an exception." The general requirements also say: "No fires are to be within 50 feet of structures."

The two distances do not conflict, and both apply. The rule says its general requirements apply to all outdoor burning it regulates, "including any outdoor burning allowed without a permit," unless that section states an exception, and it states none for recreational fires. The fire code's 25 ft is its own minimum, and Washington's 307.4.2 points to this rule. A wood or charcoal fire 50 ft from structures meets both, and one between 25 and 50 ft meets the fire code but not the text of the burning rule.

Agencies describe it less plainly. Ecology's outdoor burning page lists "Keep the fire 50 feet away from any structure" for burning outside an urban growth area and does not repeat it for campfires inside one. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency tells you to check with your local fire department about setbacks, and Seattle Fire's memo uses 25 ft. We found no agency statement that recreational fires are exempt from the 50 ft rule. For fires that need no permit, the rule makes your clean air agency, or Ecology where there is none, responsible for enforcing it unless another agency has agreed to (WAC 173-425-060(6)), so that is who to ask before you rely on less than 50 ft.

The rule neither names nor exempts gas. A gas fire pit is not a recreational fire as the rule defines one, and whether it is outdoor burning at all turns on whether its combustion counts as controlled, which the rule's definition of outdoor burning raises and does not answer. So the text does not settle whether the 50 ft rule, or the burn ban curtailments above, reach a gas fire pit.

Burn Bans and Gas

Three kinds of authority can stop a backyard fire. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) restricts fire on land under its fire protection. Fire marshals and fire districts restrict it in their areas. Air agencies call air quality burn bans: Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties, and Ecology only in counties with no local clean air agency.

In times and localities of unusual fire danger, the department may suspend burning permits and privileges and "may prohibit absolutely the use of fire in such locations."

DNR's burn bans cover land under DNR fire protection, which means you or the landowner pay a forest fire protection assessment. Its August 2026 factsheet lists what a DNR burn ban allows and bars.

A burn ban prohibits outdoor fires on all state, local and private land under DNR fire protection. It allows "Propane gas camp stoves or propane campfire pits used for campground or backcountry use" and bars "Campfires, even in established pits."

The factsheet does not list a gas fire pit at a home. For a device it does not list, it tells you to contact your DNR region office or your fire district. PSCAA's rules are written around wood and charcoal.

During a Stage 1 or Stage 2 air quality burn ban, "All outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. This includes wood- and charcoal-fueled recreational fires."

PSCAA's outdoor burning page defines a recreational fire as one "using charcoal or bare untreated wood," including fires in "chimineas, fire pits, fire bowls and similar free-standing devices." Neither PSCAA page mentions gas or propane fire pits, and we found no agency statement that exempts them. So no statewide rule exempts a gas fire pit from a burn ban, and none covers it. Each order decides.

Gas Piping and LP-Gas

Washington sends fuel gas appliances to the International Fuel Gas Code and LP-gas to NFPA 58 and NFPA 54.

Fuel gas piping, equipment and appliances "shall be regulated by the International Fuel Gas Code." LP-gas installations follow the 2020 edition of NFPA 58 and the 2021 edition of ANSI Z223.1/NFPA 54. Detached one- and two-family dwellings and their accessory structures comply with the International Residential Code.

The 2021 International Residential Code, adopted at WAC 51-51-003 and effective March 15, 2024, has a section for outdoor gas appliances. We found no Washington amendment to it.

Permanently fixed-in-place outdoor decorative appliances shall be listed in accordance with ANSI Z21.97 and shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Washington's fire code also sends LP-gas storage and equipment to NFPA 58 (WAC 51-54A-6108). We did not find a Washington rule written for a homeowner's propane cylinder, so ask your propane supplier or installer how NFPA 58 applies to yours.

City and County Examples

City of Seattle

Seattle adopts the 2021 International Fire Code with its own amendments.

The Seattle Fire Code consists of "The 2021 International Fire Code, along with Appendices A, B, D, E, F, G, H, and I" and amendments adopted by ordinance. The Seattle Fire Department says the 2021 Seattle Fire Code took effect November 15, 2024.

Seattle rewrites Section 307 to open with a ban on open burning.

Seattle 307.1 reads "A person shall not kindle or maintain or authorize to be kindled or maintained any open burning," with an exception for bonfires under a permit. Section 307.4.2 keeps 25 ft for recreational fires, and 307.4.3 keeps 15 ft for portable outdoor fireplaces, excepting one- and two-family dwellings.

The Seattle Fire Department explains how that works for a homeowner.

"Outdoor fires are generally prohibited in the City of Seattle." A recreational fire of charcoal or firewood is allowed only if every listed condition is met, including no air quality burn ban, a fire no larger than 3 ft by 2 ft, and 25 ft to any structure or combustible material.

The memo says no Fire Department permit is needed for a recreational fire within that size. A larger fire needs permits from both PSCAA and the Fire Department. The memo does not mention gas or propane fire pits, or the state outdoor burning rule's 50 ft, though Seattle's own 307.4.2 keeps the "See also WAC 173-425" pointer to that rule.

For gas lines, Seattle splits the work between agencies.

"Gas piping permits are issued by Public Health - Seattle & King County." The page adds: "Seattle has adopted the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, with amendments specific to our jurisdiction."

Seattle also licenses gas piping mechanics. Its licensing page says the license covers installing "gas piping from the meter to the appliance or to the point of use." It does not say who must hold one, so ask Public Health before you plan the work.

City of Spokane

Spokane follows the state's edition of the fire code and does not change Section 307.

"The Washington State current amended edition of the International Fire Code (IFC) and related standards, published by the International Code Council, as modified by this title, is the fire code of the City of Spokane except as otherwise provided."

The section lists Spokane's amendments, and none touches Section 307, so the state fire code's 25 ft applies, alongside the state outdoor burning rule's 50 ft. Spokane's burn restrictions come from fire marshal orders. This is the 2026 order.

The countywide restriction, effective June 30, 2026, prohibits "Recreational fires, including backyard fire pits and campfires." It allows manufactured barbecues, pellet grills, smokers, chimineas, outdoor fireplaces and patio heaters "when used according to the manufacturer's instructions," and lists "Approved fuels, including clean, dry seasoned firewood, charcoal, propane, and natural gas."

The notice does not say whether a gas fire pit counts as a manufactured device, so ask Spokane Fire before you light one under the order. It gives no end date, and the Spokane Fire news page showed no later notice on the day we checked. Confirm the current status before you light anything.

Getting a Permit

What is required varies by city, county, fire district and air agency, and the local fire official decides. This is what the sources above support.

• Wood recreational fire up to 3 ft by 2 ft. No fire code operational permit, because the IFC 105.5.34 exception applies and Washington does not amend it. Seattle's memo agrees.
• A larger recreational fire. A permit under the state outdoor burning rule (WAC 173-425-060(2)(i)), with an exception for the nonurban areas of counties with an unincorporated population under 50,000. In Seattle, permits from both PSCAA and the Fire Department.
• Burn ban or restriction. Check DNR's burn portal, your fire district or fire marshal, and your clean air agency.
• Gas line to a fire feature. Ask your building department. In Seattle, Public Health - Seattle & King County issues gas piping permits. Washington requires contractors to register with the Department of Labor and Industries (RCW 18.27.020).
• Propane fire feature. LP-gas follows NFPA 58 and NFPA 54 as Washington adopts them (WAC 51-52-0101).
• Gas fire table. Ask your fire marshal how WAC 51-54A-0308, section 308.1.9, applies at your address.

What This Means for Your Build

Wood. Plan on 50 ft between the fire and any structure, and keep combustible material at least 25 ft away. The fire code sets 25 ft, the state outdoor burning rule sets 50 ft for the same fire, and both apply. The distances run to structures, not your property line. Seattle Fire's memo uses 25 ft, so if your yard cannot fit 50 ft, ask your clean air agency, or Ecology where there is none, before you build. In Seattle, also check for an air quality burn ban before you light.

Gas. A gas fire pit sits outside the fire code's wood-fire distances, and its clearance comes from its listing and installation manual. The state outdoor burning rule does not say whether its 50 ft reaches gas. A permanently fixed outdoor gas appliance at a home must be listed to ANSI Z21.97 (2021 IRC G2453.1), and a gas fire table needs the approved protection devices in WAC 51-54A-0308. No statewide burn ban rule exempts a gas fire pit, so read your order. DNR lists propane campfire pits for campground and backcountry use. Spokane's June 2026 notice allows listed manufactured devices and names propane and natural gas among approved fuels. Ask which applies at your address. Run your feature type and fuel through the clearance checker for the published manufacturer minimums, then read your own manual, which controls. Use the gas line sizing calculator to see whether your existing line can feed the burner before you call anyone.

Propane. Washington sends LP-gas to NFPA 58 and NFPA 54. The propane tank runtime calculator shows how many hours a tank gives you at your burner's output.

Gas lines and connections go through your local building authority, and a registered contractor should do that work. This page covers Seattle and Spokane. Your city, county, fire district and air agency can each add rules to what is here, and your fire marshal's reading governs.