In general, most of the Puget Sound area of western Washington is prohibited from any outdoor burning, the exceptions being certain approved and permitted agricultural applications, campfires in designated areas and outdoor fireplaces, when burn bans are not in place. But burning of debris or yard waste is a no-no. Even indoor burning is restricted from time to time depending on air quality - they have just lifted a current burn ban.

Air quality is a major concern in urban areas, hence the restrictions.

Buy or rent a chipper/shredder and turn those twigs and excess leaves into mulch.

Burning is allowed here, but we decided that buying a chipper was really the best way to go given air quality concerns. I can't seem to find the photo of Denman that a friend sent me last year, but it was taken from Vancouver Island and you could barely see the island for all the smoke coming from it caused by backyard burning. I'm exaggerating, but not by much. I'm sure the burning was at an all time high due to the damaging wind storms earlier in the year.

I am really pleased with our chipper and the mulch it creates is used in the garden.

Yes, it's nice to say.

I remember when we could burn in Beaverton - but it got phased-out.

My mother was one of about 50 people who qualified for exemption until nearly 1992.

Oddly, in Applegate Valley, our burn days are dictated by Medford's air-index, even if the wind is not blowing that way.

M. D. Vaden of Oregon

Seattle, and other urban cities in King Couhty do not allow burning. I'm in unincorporated King County, which is mostly rural, and burning is allowed with a permit from the local city's Fire Dept.

There are lot size, pile size, time of day and time of year restrictions. Only natural vegetation is allowed; no milled lumber, old decking and no junky debris.

Of course, any blanket King County burn ban when the air quality is poor overrides the local permit.

We are allowed and my neighbor through the woods burns almost every day. It is extremely irritating!

I am going to check into restrictions and so forth. In the Fall it made gardening very un-enjoyable. Billowing smoke blanketed our neighborhood everyday!

The man who burns has a neighbor down the street that is a Fireman in our town. I might talk to him about it.

We don't burn, we use our green cans and have large compost piles.

Backyard burning was phased out here some years ago, for awhile you could burn two months in the spring, two months in the fall on fridays and saturdays. Now there is a total ban. I think the exception is lots of 5 acre or more and you have to apply for a permit to burn on these. We are a allowed a small cooking fire 2x2', there is a time limit of two hours though, in fire season this all changes and if you light your chimneas, you better have your marshmallows ready.

A......

Thanks everyone for the info. We are trying to get an exemption for larger acreages to burn when conditions are right. Muni wants a total burning ban.

This is an interesting issue. Chipper/shredders are not cheap, and the gasoline ones (like all small gas engines) are extremely polluting. There are no emissions standards on these types of engines. You can buy electric ones, but I think they may not be as powerful. There is also the pollution created in the manufacture & transport of these tools (probably from China). Even picking up yard debris at the curb as they do here in Portland involves creating some air pollution. I would bet that the air pollution created by lawn mowers, leaf blowers, weed whackers, etc is probably as bad or worse than debris burning in your community. It would at least be good to get them talking about it.

AFAIK It's still legal in Clallam and Thurston Counties outside city limits as long as there isn't a burn ban. In Kitsap County you can burn if you have a permit. I think it might be totally illegal in Pierce County. I tend to be a fan of chippers and shredders. They do create pollution but how many hours a year do you really have to use it? Not much compared to, say, a car or even a lawn mower. They also create valuable mulch. On the other hand, making a huge fire and burning stuff is kind of a fun experience.

Our politicians listened! They are going to let us with larger properties burn during 2 months of the year provided that the air index is ok and we fulfill other rules. No leaves, grass, etc. They are going to embark on an education program to teach people how to burn efficiently. It did prompt a lot of discussion about options...diverting all of the wind blow downs to a composting site 16 miles away is not very green either. Most of us that were in favour of buring also have compost boxes (we have 5) and treat leaves and grass clippings as a resource for mulch. It is just the branches, prunings, blackberries, etc that are impossible to get rid of. Our chipper is a joke and we are trying to find a better one that is big enough to be useful, but not so big that we can't manage it. I agree Ian, a nice hot fire is fun and gets rid of a lot of stuff in a short amount of time. Thanks again everyone for your input.

Hi Dotty! I don't have any problems with burning. I just don't like that particular neighbor. He's the creep that cut down 40 evergreens last summer.
I'm sure what he burned all Fall was the remainder of those beautiful trees. Everyone is really mad at him and we reported him to the County.
We actually take those things you mentioned to our nice neighbor that does burn.
That really is the best way to get rid of blackberry and branches and stuff.

Burning of blackberry plants may be needed to kill them. Branches of trees and shrubs that aren't weedy and able to take root left on the ground are part of the forest ecosystem and its nutrient cycle. Soggy old fallen tree trunks are actually important to the natural water supply here in this region, even being a source of drinking water for wild animals. I've been walking on a fallen tree in/near Camano Island State Park and broken through into above-ankle ice water - well, it felt pretty cold as it filled my shoe.

We can't burn here, of course - Portland suburb. But I spent a year in Hood River a few years ago and one autumn day I walked out my door into a wonderful aroma it took a few seconds to identify - burning leaves! Wonderful childhood memory. Don't think the smoke was a problem in such a small town. Besides, it all blew down the gorge into Portland and blended with the auto emissions. Wish I was still there.

In Thurston County, south end of Puget Sound, outdoor burning is banned inside city limits and urban growth areas, and allowed in rural areas from Oct 15 to July 15 unless curtailed by the local fire dept because of dryness. Public safety is the major issue - from soot in the air, and from fire hazard.

I think outdoor burning is a valid disposal option under limited circumstances. We had multiple huge burn piles every year when I lived in the country, because we were clearing out 5 acres of Scotch broom and there's no other way to get rid of it. Too tough and stringy to chip. It will compost eventually, but we had too much and it's too slow to decompose.

Now I live in town, and of course no burning, but the lot is so small there's no need for it either. The city will haul yard trimmings for s small extra charge, which is where all the uncompostable stuff like blackberry and Scotch broom goes.

Dotty I'm glad you got a reasonable resolution! It's nice to have options available. Outdoor burning can be a serious public safety issue but that doesn't mean there needs to be a total ban on it.

We're in Island and Skagit counties in NW WA and like reg we can burn yard waste in rural areas. A pile 4'x4' or smaller doesn't need a permit. But I'm thinking a renting a chipper/shredder once a year in order to get away from burning. Burning slash, as with new construction land clearing, is allowed with a permit. There are companies who "chip" this stuff but the cost was prohibitive to us. Tom

We are still awaiting the final word from local gov't on this issue but I believe that we will be able to live with the limited burning allowed. However, we are still looking into getting a bigger chipper but it seems hard to get one that is big enough to be useful, but small enough that we can manage it. None of our local rent-it places rent them anymore -- I guess that says a lot.

So far we are really pleased with the Bear Cat 3 inch wood chipper/shredder. I imagine that even sturdy chippers get damaged pretty easily if they aren't operated properly. I wouldn't rent mine out for that reason, although it crossed my mind that it would be a way to cover the initial cost of the chipper.

What about backyard fuming? I do quite a bit of that, especially when I discover what the neighbors have been doing along the fence line.

Hah! Personally, I'd be in deep trouble if they banned backyard fuming.