Burning in Whatcom County is regulated by the International Fire Code and Washington Administrative Codes relative to air pollution requirements.

Please contact the Whatcom County Burn Information Line at 360-778-5903 for a verbal burn permit, more information, or to speak to a fire inspector. 
Outdoor Burning Complaints, please click here for more information.
 

Burn Ban Status

Effective 8:00am, August 2, 2017, a Stage 2 Burn Ban is in effect for unincorporated Whatcom County.
 

To hear current burn ban conditions, please call the burn ban information line at (360) 778-5903.  Please check our rules pages for information on Burn Permit rules for Land-Clearing/Commercial, Recreation/Campfire & Residential Burn Permits.

Violations of these burn restrictions can result in a minimum $250.00 fine.  In addition if you have an illegal fire that escapes or needs to be extinguished by the fire department, you may be held financially responsible for fire suppression costs, as well as criminally charged for Reckless Burning.
 

 Washington State Department of Natural Resources Fire Danger Level: HIGH

Permanent Burn Ban Areas

There is a permanent burn ban in effect within certain city limits and urban growth areas (UGAs).  The areas with permanent burn bans are:

• City of Bellingham and surrounding UGAs
• City of Sumas and surrounding UGAs
• City of Lynden and surrounding UGAs
• Cities of Everson and Nooksack and surrounding UGAs
• City of Ferndale and surrounding UGAs
• City of Blaine and surrounding UGAs
• Urban Growth Area of Cherry Point
• Urban Growth Area of Columbia Valley
• Urban Growth Area of Birch Bay

Please click the links above to view a map of each city or Urban Growth Area that has a permanent burn ban. If the property where the fire is to be located is within on of these areas, you can ONLY have a recreational fire. If you are outside of these areas, please go to the burn permit rules page  for more information on how to obtain a permit to burn yard debris or land-clearing debris