North County Fire EMS

Burn Regulations / Permits

Outdoor Burning Checklist

Outdoor Burning - No Burn Ban

Outdoor burning is permitted only when there is NOT a county side burn ban. Please refer to the Snohomish County Fire Marshal's website for more information.

Outdoor Burning - Recreational Pit

Only recreational fire are permitted within the city limits of Arlington & Stanwood. A recreational fire is defined as a cooking fire or camping fire using charcoal or firewood.

Outdoor Burning - Measured Fire

Fire may not be greater than three feet(36 inches) in diameter and/or two feet(24 inches) in height. The location of the recreational fire shall be at least 25 feet from a structure.

Outdoor Burning - Garden Hose

A water source must be immediately available whenever the recreational fire is lit.

Outdoor Burning - Fire Pit

The fire pit must be constructed of a noncombustible material such as concrete or metal. (Example Fire Pit, Outdoor Oven, Chminea)

Outdoor Burning - Do Not Symbol

No garbage, household trash, lumber, building construction waste, or demolition debris may be burned. If smoke is determined to be a nuisance to neighbors, the fire must be extinguished.

These regulations apply to areas within North County Regional Fire Authority that is not protected by the Department of Natural Resources(DNR).

The party burning and/or the property owner are liable for the cost of fire suppression and damage as a result of escape of fire. Fees may be charged for fire department response to fires, which are determined to not be in compliance with these regulations at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners.

Residential Burning: Outdoor fires, consisting of natural vegetation resulting from maintenance of lands immediately adjacent and in close proximity to a human dwelling and burned on the lands on which the material originated.

Burn Permit Issuance

It is advised that you call the respective fire station, to ensure personnel are available to issue a burn permit.

Outdoor burning is not allowed within the city limits
City of Arlington & City of Stanwood

Station 90 - Bryant

3002 252nd St NE
Arlington, WA 98223
Telephone: 360-435-9252

Station 96 - Freeborn

3231 300th St NW
Stanwood, WA 98292
Telephone: 360-629-3011

Station 97 - Warm Beach

19727 Marine Drive
Stanwood, WA 98292
Telephone: 360-652-1246

Station 99 - Stanwood (Headquarters)

8117 267th Street NW
Stanwood, WA 98292
Telephone: 360-629-2184

Burn Permit Status Indicator
  • Burn Pile Sizes
    • July 1st thru September 30th - burn pile size 3 feet x 3 feet
    • October 1st thru June 30th - burn pile size 5 feet x 5 feet
   Obtain Burn Permit   
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Burn Regulations

  • The fire must contain only natural vegetation.
  • A person capable of extinguishing the fire must be in attendance at all times and the fire shall be completely extinguished prior to leaving it.
  • Fire are not to be within 50 feet of any structure, public roadway, or property line.
  • Only one pile may be burned at a time.
  • All fires to be started during daylight hours and must be extinguished prior to sunset.
  • All fires shall be on bare soil or green grass or other ground conditions free of combustible material for a distance of 20 feet to prevent the escape of the fire.
  • An adequate water supply capable of extinguishing the fire and the means to adequately apply the water to the fire in order to achieve extinguishment (EX: a garden hose attached to a good working faucet / spigot and be capable of reaching all sides of the fire pile with 10 feet of reserve slack) and at least one shovel shall be in attendance and immediately available at the fire at all times.
  • Burning must be done in periods of calm to very light winds only.
  • The permission to burn by an individual, property owner or others may be revoked, cancelled or suspended without notice by any of the following agencies: North County Regional Fire Authority, Snohomish County Fire Marshal Office, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Department of Ecology, Department of Natural Resources, or by any Federal, State, County or Regional agency having statutory authority and Jurisdiction without reason at any time without prior notification.
  • If any emission from the fire is detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of any person or it causes damage to property or business, or it causes a nuisance, or a burning ban is imposed, the fire must be extinguished immediately.
  • All persons who are authorized to burn shall call the Fire Station at 360-629-2184 or the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency at 800-595-4341. This must be done prior to lighting any fires to ascertain any burn ban information.
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Outdoor Burning Alternatives

Fines for illegal fires typically start at $2,000 plus the cost to reimburse the fire department for their response efforts.

  • It's always illegal to:
    • Burn trash
    • Use a burn barrel
    • Smoke out your neighbor

Taking a match to your yard waste may seem like an easy and efficient way to dispose of your clippings and trimmings, but burning yard waste is illegal and unhealthy. Smoke from these fires contains pollutants like fine particles and toxics which can harm your health.

Consider these planet and people-friendly alternatives.

Chip it

A chipper or shredder converts your branches and yard waste into useful mulch or the perfect compost pile.

Compost it

You can convert dead leaves and grass clippings into healthy food for your plants and yard rather than polluting the air. Composting is a convenient and affordable way to manage yard waste. Kitsap County has some great information about getting started on composting.

Curb it or Drop it Off

Curbside pick-up of yard waste is convenient, affordable and increasingly available alterative to burning. If curbside services are not in your area, consider dropping off your debris to a recycling center in your community.