Before you light anything outdoors in Pacific County, check two places: the Washington Department of Natural Resources burn portal at burnportal.dnr.wa.gov and the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency at orcaa.org. A Pacific County burn ban can come from either agency for different reasons, and when both are active at once, the stricter one controls what you can burn.
How to Check Whether a Ban Is Active Right Now
Two separate systems govern outdoor burning here, so one source is not enough. DNR’s burn portal shows fire danger levels and active fire safety restrictions statewide. ORCAA’s site posts current air quality burn ban status for Pacific County and the surrounding region.
For phone updates, DNR’s burn information line is 1-800-323-BURN and ORCAA’s line is 1-800-422-5623. Pacific County Fire District No. 1 answers local questions at 360-642-9382 (Long Beach) or 360-875-9356 (South Bend).1Pacific County Fire District 1. Burning Permit A fire safety ban and an air quality ban can be in effect on the same day, so confirm both before you strike a match.
Fire Safety Bans and What They Restrict
The county calls a fire safety burn ban when dry conditions and low fuel moisture raise wildfire risk. These bans typically suspend residential yard debris burning, land-clearing burns, and silvicultural burning, while allowing recreational campfires under specific limits.
Under the 2025 Pacific County fire safety burn ban, recreational fires on private land were permitted only in a metal, stone, or masonry-lined fire pit, no more than three feet in diameter by two feet in height, placed at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, with 20 feet of overhead clearance from tree limbs, patio covers, or carports.2Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. Pacific County Calls 2025 Fire Safety Burn Ban
When conditions worsen, the county can extend the fire safety ban to prohibit recreational fires entirely, including charcoal and wood-fueled fires on private property.3Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. Pacific County Bans Recreational Fires for Fire Safety Each announcement spells out exactly what is restricted, so read the current notice rather than assuming last summer’s rules still apply.
Air Quality Bans: Stage 1 and Stage 2
ORCAA calls air quality burn bans when weather traps particulate pollution near the ground. These bans are stricter than fire safety bans and can also reach inside your house.
A Stage 1 air quality burn ban prohibits all outdoor burning, including recreational fires, backyard fire kettles, chimineas, and fire pits. Fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves cannot be used unless the appliance is your only adequate heat source and you have previously notified ORCAA. No visible smoke is allowed from any wood stove or fireplace beyond a 20-minute start-up period.4Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. County Burning Restrictions
A Stage 2 ban tightens things further. No outdoor fires of any kind are allowed. Burning in all wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves, fireplace inserts, and pellet stoves is prohibited unless it is your only adequate heat source. Natural gas and propane appliances remain allowed.4Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. County Burning Restrictions
The key distinction: a fire safety ban may still permit a small recreational fire under strict conditions, but even a Stage 1 air quality ban shuts down all outdoor burning. When both types are active, the air quality rules win.
What You Can Still Do During a Ban
Propane and natural gas appliances are generally the last things restricted, because they do not produce the airborne particulates or stray embers that trigger bans in the first place. ORCAA’s Stage 2 ban, the most restrictive air quality level, explicitly still allows natural gas and propane appliances.4Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. County Burning Restrictions A gas grill or propane camp stove is usually a safe option when wood and charcoal are off the table. Read the specific notice anyway, since an extreme fire safety order could restrict all open flames.
Recreational Fire Rules When No Ban Is Active
Even with no ban in effect, recreational fires on private land must meet fixed limits. Fires cannot exceed three feet in diameter by two feet in height. They must sit at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, with at least 20 feet of overhead clearance from tree limbs or covered structures. Portable outdoor fireplaces designed to burn solid wood need at least 15 feet of clearance and must be run according to the manufacturer’s instructions.2Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. Pacific County Calls 2025 Fire Safety Burn Ban
Someone at least 16 years old has to attend the fire at all times with a shovel plus either five gallons of water or a connected, charged garden hose within reach. When you are done, cover the fire with water or moist soil and stir it with a shovel until every part is cool to the touch.2Olympic Region Clean Air Agency. Pacific County Calls 2025 Fire Safety Burn Ban
Year-Round Ban in Urban Growth Areas
If you live inside one of Pacific County’s designated Urban Growth Areas, residential yard debris burning has been permanently prohibited since January 1, 2007, under state law. The affected communities are Ilwaco, Long Beach, Raymond, South Bend, and Seaview.1Pacific County Fire District 1. Burning Permit This ban does not depend on the season, fire danger, or air quality. Use yard waste collection or a transfer station for vegetation disposal.
Permits and How a Ban Affects Them
Recreational campfires do not require a permit. Burning yard debris, clearing land, or agricultural burning does. Pacific County Fire District No. 1 issues four permit types: yard debris, special burn, land clearing, and agricultural burn permits.1Pacific County Fire District 1. Burning Permit Burning on forested land falls under DNR, and DNR does not permit burning of land-clearing debris on forested land at all.5Department of Natural Resources. Burn Permits
Construction debris, plastic, and treated wood cannot be burned at any time, permit or not. Any active burn ban automatically suspends your permit until the ban lifts.
Penalties and Who Pays When a Fire Escapes
The fine is the small part of the bill. Under WAC 173-425-060, any fire protection authority that responds to an illegal or out-of-control fire can charge the responsible person for the full cost of its response and control action.6Washington State Legislature. WAC 173-425-060 – Outdoor Burning Enforcement Failing to comply with any burn permit condition voids the permit and exposes you to enforcement.
If a fire reaches forested land, Washington’s Forest Protection Act adds a second layer of liability. Under RCW 76.04.495, anyone whose negligence starts a fire or allows it to spread on forested land is liable for all reasonable expenses the state or any other suppression agency incurs in investigating and suppressing it. The state can recover those costs by civil suit, and the amount becomes a lien on the responsible party’s land. An uncontrolled fire on forested land is also a public nuisance, and the responsible party pays for its abatement.7Washington State Legislature. RCW Chapter 76.04 – Forest Protection
Even a small escaped fire can generate suppression costs in the tens of thousands once aircraft, engine crews, and heavy equipment are involved.
Reporting Illegal Burning
Call 911 if a fire is an active emergency. For non-emergency complaints, the Washington Department of Ecology takes reports at 1-866-211-6284, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; follow the prompts to select Pacific County. Complaints can be anonymous.8Washington State Department of Ecology. Report Burning and Air Quality Issues Have the date and time, the town and county, the specific location, a description of what is being burned, and the responsible party’s name if you know it. ORCAA takes air quality complaints directly at 1-800-422-5623.