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Can I burn wood today in Washington?
Current wood-burning rules for Washington State, Washington, from the Washington Department of Ecology (plus local clean air agencies).
Rules checked on the agency's official site
Short answer
No-burn days can be called any day of the year here.
Whether today is a no-burn day is posted by the Washington Department of Ecology (plus local clean air agencies). Check before you light a fire:
Puget Sound (King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish): today's status
Burn bans are called when air quality gets bad, any time of year
These rules are about burning wood.
Washington State wood-burning rules at a glance
| Area covered | Statewide, plus local clean-air agencies |
|---|---|
| Enforced by | Washington Department of Ecology (plus local clean air agencies) |
| Burn season | Burn bans are called when air quality gets bad, any time of year |
| On a no-burn day | Stage 1 burn ban: no fireplaces and no uncertified wood stoves. Stage 2 burn ban: no wood stoves at all, unless it's your home's only heat source. |
| Who gets a pass | No exemptions listed in our check. |
| Buying or installing a stove | Illegal to sell, trade or give away an uncertified stove. Washington keeps its own certified list. |
| Selling a home with a stove | Statewide, no removal is required at sale. But in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties (Puget Sound Clean Air), an uncertified stove can't be used and must be removed or made unusable, sale or not. |
| The rule | WAC 173-433 (sales: section 100; burn bans: section 150) |
| Official daily status | Ecology statewide burn bans |
| Last checked |
Planned a fire tonight? You still have options.
None of these burn wood.
Electric fireplace
Hangs on the wall or sits in an opening. Many plug into a regular outlet. No chimney, no permit.
Compare electric fireplacesGas logs
Real flames in your existing fireplace. You'll need a gas line and a pro to hook it up.
Already have a newer, cleaner stove?
Some areas let registered or certified stoves burn on certain days. Check the rules below.
How the rules work here
Stage 1 burn ban: no fireplaces and no uncertified wood stoves. Stage 2 burn ban: no wood stoves at all, unless it's your home's only heat source.
- It's illegal to sell, trade, or give away an uncertified wood stove.
- Statewide, you don't have to remove an uncertified stove when you buy or sell a house.
- Washington keeps its own certified list. 'EPA-certified' doesn't always mean 'Washington-certified.'
- In the Puget Sound Clean Air area (King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties), it's illegal to buy or use an uncertified wood stove, and uncertified stoves must be removed and recycled or made unusable, whether or not the home is sold.
Where this comes from
Checked Nov 1, 2026. Rules change, so the agency's own page is always the final word. This isn't legal advice.