Enter your address or click a place on the map below to determine where it's legal to Burn
Click ⇨ Burn Ban Alerts to sign up to receive air pollution advisories.
1. Can I Burn Instructions
In the Search Box located at the top of the map below, enter your street address, city and state - then press
the ENTER key
If the marker lands within a purple outlined area you are within the City Limits
If the marker lands within a red outlined area you are within the Urban Growth Area
(UGA) or Burn Restricted Area
If the marker lands within a blue outlined area, you are outside the City Limits
or Urban Growth Area and within the county
You may click anywhere outside a city/UGA boundary within Clark,
Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania or Wahkiakum counties to see if you can burn
Map boundaries are subject to change
See section 2 below for burn ban definitions and permits
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Enter your street address in the Search Box below then press ENTER
Map Boundaries Last Updated: 2/1/2016Accessed: 20805 (2115)
This data is complied from many sources and scales. SWCAA makes this information available as a service, and accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracy, actual or implied.
2. Burning Definitions (when allowed) and Permits
Residential Burning
Residential burning is allowed in pile sizes as specified by the individual county permit and can be used outside
of the permanent no burn areas (SEE MAP ABOVE). If you would like help determining if you are within a no burn area
please give us a call at 360-574-3058. These permits can usually be picked up at a local fire department or on the
county website and are generally free. Burning
Permits
"Residential burning" means the outdoor burning of leaves, clippings, prunings and other
yard and gardening refuse originating on lands immediately adjacent and in close proximity to a human dwelling and
burned on such lands by the property owner or his or her designee. [RCW 70.94.750(1)]
Land Clearing Burning
Large burn piles and land clearing operations need a written permit. These permits may require a scheduled office visit, site inspections and fees. Please follow
the link to identify the appropriate permitting authority in your county or city.
Burning Permits
"Land clearing burning" means outdoor burning of trees, stumps, shrubbery, or other natural vegetation from land clearing projects (i.e., projects
that clear the land surface so it can be developed, used for a different purpose, or left unused). [RCW 70.94.750(2)]
Agricultural Burning
To determine if you qualify for an agricultural permit or agricultural exemption you must contact SWCAA at 360-574-3058.
"Agricultural burning" means the burning of vegetative debris from an agricultural operation necessary
for disease or pest control, necessary for crop propagation or crop rotation, or where identified as a best management practice
by the agricultural burning practices and research task force established in RCW 70.94.6528(6) or other authoritative source on
agricultural practices. Propane flaming for the purpose of vegetative debris removal is considered commercial agricultural
burning.
Recreational Fire
Recreational fires are limited to 3'x3'x2' and are used solely for recreational purposes.
"Recreational Fire" means cooking fires, campfires, and bonfires using charcoal or firewood
that occur in designated areas or on private property for cooking, pleasure, or ceremonial purposes. Fires used
for debris disposal purposes are not considered recreational fires.
Silvicultural Burning
For Silivicultural burning, DNR rule burns and burning on unimproved land contact the Washington State Department
of Natural Resources at 360-575-5089 or DNR
Burning Permits Web Site for more information.
"Silvicultural burning" means outdoor burning relating to the following activities for the protection of
life or property and/or the public health, safety, and welfare:
(a) Abating a forest fire hazard.
(b) Prevention of a forest fire hazard.
(c) Instruction of public officials in methods of forest fire fighting.
(d) Any silvicultural operation to improve the forest lands of the state.
(e) Silvicultural burning used to improve or maintain fire dependent ecosystems for rare plants or animals within state,
federal, and private natural area preserves, natural resource conservation areas, parks, and other wildlife areas. [RCW 70.94.660(1)]
Air Stagnation Advisory
During an air stagnation advisory it is recommended that citizens
voluntarily limit all woodstove use and postpone all outdoor
burning until air quality improves. If air quality does not improve under a voluntary advisory then a Stage 1 or Stage 2 air quality
burn ban may be called to prevent pollution levels from exceeding federal standards.
An air stagnation advisory is called when an air mas remains over an area for an extended period of time.
Due to light winds and lack of precipitation pollutants cannot be cleared from the air causing a build-up of pollutants such as
high levels of PM2.5. If burning is not reduced and levels of PM2.5 continue to climb and reach or exceed the federal standards
a Stage 1 or Stage 2 air curtailment will be put into place banning all burning and limiting or prohibiting the use of
woodstoves until air quality improves.
Stage 1 Impaired Air Quality Burn Ban
During a stage 1 curtailment all outdoor burning is banned. The use of all uncertified woodstoves are prohibited unless it
is your only adequate source of heat.
A stage 1 impaired air quality burn ban is called when it is predicted that the twenty-four hour average of PM2.5
levels will reach or exceed thirty-five micrograms per cubic meter within forty-eight hours.
Stage 2 Impaired Air Quality Burn Ban
During a stage 2 curtailment all outdoor burning is banned. The use of all pellet/woodstoves are prohibited unless it
is your only adequate source of heat.
A Stage 2 impaired air quality burn ban is called when all of the following conditions exist:
(i) A stage 1 impaired air quality burn ban is already in effect and has not reduced the trend of rising PM2.5 levels adequately.
(ii) The twenty-four hour average of PM2.5 levels have already reached or exceeded twenty-five micrograms per cubic meter.
(iii) The Agency expects that PM2.5 levels will remain above twenty-five micrograms per cubic meter for twenty-four hours or more from the
time PM2.5 levels reached the trigger in (a)(ii) of this subsection:
The Agency may call a stage 2 impaired air quality burn ban without calling a stage 1 impaired air quality burn ban when all of the following conditions exist:
(i) The twenty-four hour average of PM2.5 levels have reached or exceeded twenty-five micrograms per cubic meter.
(ii) PM2.5 levels have risen rapidly.
(iii) The Agency predicts that the twenty-four hour average of PM2.5 levels will exceed thirty-five micrograms per cubic meter within twenty-four hours.
(iv) Weather conditions alone are highly unlikely to help decrease PM2.5 levels sufficiently.
