What is a burn ban?

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issues temporary bans on indoor and outdoor burning when the weather trends toward stagnant conditions, such as air inversions, which trap fine particle pollution emitted from our chimneys, cars, trucks, and other activities. Our air quality can deteriorate quickly when the weather doesn't give us the breeze we need to clean away our daily air pollution, which is why taking action to curb burning can help keep our air healthy.

Don’t get burned Violating an air quality burn ban can result in civil penalties starting at $1,000 per day. To report a burn ban violation, e-mail our inspectors at: inspection@pscleanair.org. Please include the street address and the ZIP code of the violation to help us prioritize our enforcement activity.

What is banned
during a burn ban?

The agency issues the following bans:

Stage 1. During a Stage 1 burn ban:

• No burning is allowed in fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves, unless it is your only adequate source of heat. This includes the use of manufactured logs such as Duraflame or Javalogs.

• You can use pellet stoves, EPA-certified wood stoves and natural gas or propane fireplaces.

• No visible smoke is allowed from any solid fuel burning devices, beyond a 20 minute start-up period.

Stage 2. During a Stage 2 burn ban: 

• No burning is allowed in any fireplace, pellet stove or wood stove (certified or not), unless it is your only adequate source of heat.

• You can use natural gas or propane fireplaces.

• No visible smoke is allowed from any solid fuel burning device at any time.

All outdoor burning is prohibited during a burn ban, even in areas where otherwise permitted by law.