High-Fire Danger Burn Ban Rules

The Burn Ban prohibits all of the following:

  • Backyard or open burning (branches, yard debris, etc.).
  • Agricultural burning (agricultural wastes, crops, field burning, etc.).
  • Any other land clearing, slash, stump, waste, debris, or controlled burning.

The Burn Ban does not prohibit: 

  • Small outdoor cooking, warming or recreational fires. These include portable or permanent fire pits, fire tables, and campfires. The maximum fuel/burn area of these are to be three (3) feet in diameter and two (2) feet in height. Their location for use should be safely away from combustible items and vegetation.
  • Barbeque grills, smokers, and similar cooking appliances with clean, dry firewood, briquettes, wood chips, pellets, propane, natural gas, or similar fuels.
  • Gas, battery, or electrical powered equipment such as chainsaws, lawnmowers, string trimmers, etc. 

ODF Restricted Lands:

There may be more restrictive fire safety rules on and within 1/8 mile of of Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected land which exists throughout much of rural Washington County. ODF restriction may include prohibitions on campfires, smoking, target shooting, powered equipment, motorized vehicles, as well as, other public, private landowner, and industrial fire restrictions. More details about ODF fire restrictions are available on their website. (Click here to be redirected.)

Outdoor fires in violation of this burn ban may be immediately extinguished. If a fire agency responds to a fire that has been started in willful violation of this burn ban, the person responsible may be liable for all costs incurred, as well as, legal fees per Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 478.965.