Can I use my fireplace during a burn ban in Seattle?

Seattle Fireplace & Chimney · October 19, 2026

Who calls the bans, and where they apply

Winter burn bans in the Seattle area come from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA). The agency calls them for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. In Pierce and Snohomish a ban can cover only part of the county, and different areas can sit at different stages on the same day. Pierce County alone has three burn-ban zones, which the PSCAA FAQ names as Greater Pierce, South Pierce and Pierce Peninsula (Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula).

These are air-quality bans. They usually come on cold, still days when wood smoke settles over neighborhoods instead of blowing away. They are a different thing from the summer fire-safety burn bans Seattle Fire issues for outdoor fires.

The triggers differ by county, which is why Pierce and Snohomish see bans more often. According to the PSCAA burn ban page, King and Kitsap get a Stage 1 when fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) is forecast to average above 35 micrograms per cubic meter over 24 hours within the next 48 hours. Pierce and Snohomish get one at 30, looking 72 hours ahead. Because bans are based on forecasts, one can be called on a day that still looks clear or breezy.

Stage 1: open fireplaces and old stoves stop

PSCAA's wording for Stage 1 is that no burning is allowed in wood-burning fireplaces, uncertified wood stoves or uncertified fireplace inserts. All outdoor burning stops too, including wood and charcoal recreational fires in the backyard.

• Open wood-burning fireplace: not allowed.
• Uncertified wood stove or insert: not allowed.
• EPA-certified wood stove or insert: allowed, as long as it makes no visible smoke.
• Gas or propane fireplace, insert or logs: allowed.
• Fire pit or chiminea outside: not allowed.

Stage 2: all wood burning stops

A Stage 2 ban can follow a Stage 1 or be called on its own when pollution reaches the level set in state law. PSCAA's wording is that no burning is allowed in any wood-burning fireplace, wood stove or fireplace insert. That includes EPA-certified stoves. KOMO's 2013 report on the stricter bans listed pellet stoves under Stage 2 as well, so plan on the pellet stove being off too.

The only exception in either stage is a home that holds an approved exemption called No Other Adequate Source of Heat (NOASH). Even then, the stove may not make visible smoke.

Gas and propane are the exception

The PSCAA press release of January 2, 2016 says it is OK to use natural gas and propane stoves or inserts during both Stage 1 and Stage 2 bans. If you want a fire on the evenings that bans are most likely, gas is the only option that works every time.

For many Seattle homes the fireplace is a comfort, not the heat source. Census data (American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024) shows about 61 percent of Seattle homes heat mainly with electricity and only 0.2 percent with wood. So a ban rarely leaves anyone cold, but it does take away the fire on exactly the nights people want one. On the Eastside, where Bellevue and Kirkland homes are close to half on utility gas, a gas line is often already in the house.

Typical 2026 ranges for the common upgrades: gas logs in an existing fireplace $500 to $2,000, a gas insert $2,000 to $8,000, and an EPA-certified wood insert with a liner $3,000 to $7,000. Keep in mind the wood insert still has to stay cold in a Stage 2 ban. We look at the fireplace, chimney and gas access during the free inspection and give you a written price before any work.

If a fire is already going when a ban starts

The PSCAA FAQ is direct about this: do not add more fuel and simply let it burn out. With a stove or insert, open the air control so the fire burns down faster rather than smoldering.

Enforcement works from the outside. Inspectors look for chimney smoke, and a violation means a Notice of Violation sent to the property owner. The 2016 PSCAA release put the penalty at $1,000. Separately from bans, Washington's smoke rule (WAC 173-433-110) applies all year: smoke from any wood-burning device may not average more than 20 percent opacity for six minutes in an hour, with an allowance of up to 20 minutes in four hours when starting a new fire.

How to check before you light a fire

Make it part of lighting the fire on any cold, calm evening from fall through early spring.

• The Air Quality Burn Ban Status page, linked from pscleanair.gov.
• PSCAA email and text alerts, from the Sign Up for Alerts page on the same site.
• The burn ban phone line: 800-595-4341.
• PSCAA's main line, 206-343-8800, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 4:30, for questions about the rules.