Seattle Fire Pit Rules: Wood, Gas and Burn Bans
Seattle bans open burning, then allows a small wood or charcoal fire 25 ft from a structure, while a state rule says 50 ft. Seattle Fire's recreational fire memo does not mention gas fire pits, so a gas fire pit is a question for the fire department.
Last verified .
Adopted code the 2021 Seattle Fire Code (the 2021 International Fire Code with Seattle amendments), in effect since November 15, 2024 according to the Seattle Fire Department
Source: Seattle Municipal Code §22.600.020 (Ord. 127109, passed October 8, 2024); Seattle Fire Department, Fire Code and Fire Safety Documents (effective date). Checked .At a Glance
Seattle fire pit rules at a glance, each with its source and the date we checked it.
Wood fire pit
- What the code says
- Allowed without a Fire Department permit as a recreational fire: no larger than 3 ft by 2 ft, no air quality burn ban in effect, and at least 25 ft from a structure or combustible material. A larger fire needs permits from both Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Seattle Fire. The state outdoor burning rule sets 50 ft from structures, so plan on 50 ft.
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Portable gas or propane fire pit or table
- What the code says
- Seattle's recreational fire rules do not mention gas, and the Fire Department's memo defines a recreational fire as one using charcoal or firewood. A gas-fired fire table or fireplace needs the approved protection devices in section 308.1.9 and an extinguisher within 75 ft of travel distance, or as approved. Clearance comes from the unit's listing and manual. Ask Seattle Fire about your device.
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Permanently installed gas feature
- What the code says
- A permanently fixed outdoor decorative gas appliance at a one- or two-family home must be listed to ANSI Z21.97 and installed per its manufacturer's instructions. Gas piping needs a permit from Public Health - Seattle & King County, and Seattle requires a gas piping mechanic license for the work, with a limited exception for owners.
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Who Decides
The offices that decide fire pit rules in Seattle, each with its official page and the date we checked it.
Seattle Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division
- Role
- The fire code official: enforces the Seattle Fire Code, including recreational fire rules, and announces Seattle's fire safety burn bans
- Official page
- seattle.gov
- Checked
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
- Role
- Calls air quality burn bans in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties; under the state outdoor burning rule it enforces burning limits in its area unless another agency has agreed to; burn ban line 1-800-595-4341
- Official page
- pscleanair.gov
- Checked
Public Health - Seattle & King County, Plumbing and Gas Program
- Role
- Issues gas piping permits and inspects the work in Seattle; permit counter 206-263-9566
- Official page
- kingcounty.gov
- Checked
Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections
- Role
- Licenses gas piping mechanics and administers the Seattle Residential Code and Fuel Gas Code
- Official page
- seattle.gov
- Checked
King County Fire Marshal
- Role
- Issues fire safety burn bans for unincorporated King County; Seattle said it joined the county's Stage 2 ban in August 2026
- Official page
- kingcounty.gov
- Checked
Washington Department of Natural Resources
- Role
- Sets burn restrictions on land under DNR fire protection
- Official page
- dnr.wa.gov
- Checked
What the City Code Says
Seattle's fire code is the 2021 International Fire Code with Seattle amendments, in effect since November 15, 2024 according to Seattle Fire. Washington has not yet adopted its 2024 codes; the State Building Code Council targets May 3, 2027.
The Seattle Fire Code consists of "The 2021 International Fire Code" with listed appendices and amendments adopted by ordinance.
Seattle starts from a ban. Its definitions leave a recreational fire out of "open burning," and Seattle Fire's memo sets the conditions.
"A person shall not kindle or maintain or authorize to be kindled or maintained any open burning." Recreational fires "shall not be conducted within 25 feet" of a structure or combustible material.
"Outdoor fires are generally prohibited in the City of Seattle." A charcoal or firewood recreational fire is allowed only if every listed condition is met, including no air quality burn ban and a fire no larger than three feet by two feet.
A larger fire is a bonfire: 50 ft from a structure (section 307.4.1) and a permit. A portable outdoor fireplace must stay 15 ft from a structure except at one- and two-family dwellings (section 307.4.3); whether your fire pit counts as one is Seattle Fire's call.
Why You Will Read 10, 25 and 50 Feet
Three sources give three distances. Two are rules.
25 ft is the fire code. Section 307.4.2, enforced by Seattle Fire, ends with a pointer: "See also WAC 173-425."
50 ft is a state rule. Its text reaches recreational fires, and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) is responsible for enforcing it here unless another agency has agreed to (WAC 173-425-060(6)).
"No fires are to be within 50 feet of structures." Its general requirements cover "any outdoor burning allowed without a permit," and its scope includes recreational fires.
PSCAA's Regulation I, Section 8.04(a), makes outdoor burning unlawful unless it complies with that chapter, and its FAQ says recreational fires generally "must be 50 feet from any structure."
10 ft is guidance. It comes from a 2020 blog post, and we found no code section that sets 10 ft.
"Keep fire pits at least 10 feet from your home, vegetation or anything that can burn."
A wood fire 50 ft from structures meets both rules. If your yard cannot fit 50 ft, ask PSCAA and Seattle Fire before you rely on 25. Statewide rules: Washington.
Burn Bans and No-Burn Days
Three authorities can stop a backyard fire, and each words its ban differently. Check each one for live status.
Air quality bans come from PSCAA, mostly in fall and winter.
During a Stage 1 or Stage 2 ban, "All outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. This includes wood- and charcoal-fueled recreational fires."
"No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas."
The ban FAQ names fuels and the release names devices. The release allows natural gas or propane stoves or inserts. Neither source mentions gas fire pits. Ask PSCAA whether a ban reaches your gas fire pit.
Fire safety bans come from the fire marshal in dry summers, and PSCAA says it does not issue or enforce them. In August 2026 Seattle Fire said Seattle had joined King County's Stage 2 ban.
A backyard fire pit or campfire "using chopped firewood or charcoal is prohibited." Manufactured portable outdoor devices, "including barbeques and patio warmers," were allowed, and so were approved fuel devices, "including those that rely on charcoal, natural gas or propane gas."
That list names barbecues and patio warmers, not gas fire pits.
DNR bans cover land under DNR fire protection, which DNR ties to a forest fire protection assessment on your property tax (DNR).
Gas and Propane
Seattle's recreational fire section and Seattle Fire's memo do not mention gas fire pits. Section 308.1.5 bars open flames, including gas-fired heaters, on or near decorative or similar combustible material, with no distance given. Section 308.1.9 is Washington's amendment for gas fire tables and fireplaces.
Gas-fired 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." An extinguisher must be within 75 feet of travel distance or as approved.
The section does not define an approved protection device; ask Seattle Fire what it accepts.
"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."
The Residential Code covers houses, duplexes and townhouses up to three stories; the Seattle Fuel Gas Code covers other buildings. We found no fixed distance for a gas fire pit in these sections, so clearance comes from your unit's manual. Check it with the clearance checker.
Permits and Who to Call
Seattle Fire decides what its code requires at your address.
- Wood or charcoal fire up to 3 ft by 2 ft: no Fire Department permit. A larger fire needs permits from both PSCAA and Seattle Fire, so ask Seattle Fire how to apply.
- Propane container at a house: Seattle's LP-gas operational permit excepts containers with a water capacity of 500 gallons or less serving Group R-3 buildings, which include buildings with no more than two dwelling units (fire code 105.5.32, building code 310.4).
- Gas line to a fire feature: a gas piping permit from Public Health - Seattle & King County, which inspects the work. Seattle also requires a gas piping mechanic license from SDCI, with a limited owner exception, and bars hiring anyone who is not a licensed mechanic or working under one.
"A gas piping permit is required, whether or not a license is required."
Hire a licensed gas piping mechanic for gas work, and confirm with Seattle Fire and Public Health before you build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are fire pits legal in Seattle?
Wood and charcoal ones can be, under conditions. Seattle Fire says outdoor fires are generally prohibited, then allows a recreational fire no larger than 3 ft by 2 ft when no air quality burn ban is in effect and it sits 25 ft from any structure or combustible material. A state rule sets 50 ft. The memo does not mention gas fire pits, so ask Seattle Fire about yours.
How far does a fire pit need to be from my house in Seattle?
The Seattle Fire Code sets 25 ft for a wood or charcoal recreational fire. The state outdoor burning rule sets 50 ft from structures, the fire code points to it, and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's regulation incorporates it. Plan on 50 ft, which meets both. A 10 ft figure in a 2020 Seattle Fire blog post is guidance, not code. For gas, follow your manual and ask Seattle Fire.
Can I use a gas or propane fire pit during a burn ban in Seattle?
It depends on the ban. In August 2026 Seattle Fire said that under the Stage 2 burn ban Seattle joined with King County, approved fuel devices, including those that rely on natural gas or propane, were allowed. Its list of allowed devices named barbecues and patio warmers, not gas fire pits. A November 2023 Puget Sound Clean Air Agency ban notice for Pierce and Snohomish counties names fire pits without a fuel. We found no agency text on gas fire pits, so ask before you light one.
Do I need a permit for a fire pit in Seattle?
Not from the Fire Department for a wood or charcoal recreational fire no larger than 3 ft in diameter and 2 ft high. A larger fire needs permits from both Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and Seattle Fire. A gas line to a fire pit needs a gas piping permit from Public Health - Seattle & King County, whether or not a license is required.
Is the 10 ft rule for fire pits in Seattle real?
We found no Seattle code section that sets 10 ft for a fire pit. The figure comes from a May 2020 post on Seattle Fire's blog, written before the current 2021 edition took effect. The fire code sets 25 ft for a recreational fire, and the state rule sets 50 ft. Use the larger distance, and ask Seattle Fire if your yard cannot fit it.
Do I need a licensed installer for a gas line to a fire pit in Seattle?
Seattle law requires a gas piping mechanic license from SDCI to install, alter, extend or repair gas piping, with a limited exception for owners working on their own property, and a permit is required either way. It is unlawful to hire anyone who is not a licensed mechanic or working under one. Hire a licensed gas piping mechanic, and ask Public Health about the permit.
This page is reference, not a permit. Your local authority having jurisdiction makes the final call, and their interpretation governs. Confirm before you build or buy.
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