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 9:00am, October 2, 2017, the burn ban has been lifted for unincorporated areas of Whatcom County.

For current outdoor burning information, 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.

 Washington State Department of Natural Resources Fire Danger Level: Low

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