Outdoor Burning

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, September 20, 2017, the burn ban will be reduced to a Stage 1 Burn Ban for unincorporated Whatcom County.

A Stage 1 Burn Ban allows recreational fires but all other outdoor burning is still banned, including yard debris and land clearing fires!

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: Moderate

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:

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