BURN PERMITS

Pile Size Limitations: No Residential burn permit for piles up to 4′ x 4′ x 3′ of natural vegetation.

Burn Permits for City of Elma Residents: Contact the Elma Building Official at 360-482-2212.

Burn Permits for Grays Harbor County Residents: Contact ORCAA (Olympic Region Clean Air Agency) at www.orcaa.org or call 360-539-7610.

Land Clearing Permits: www.orcaa.org/outdoor-burning/land-clearing-burn

REGULATIONS

Residential Burning Rules

Residential burning, as defined below, does not require a permit, but must conform to the following conditions. If a fire is found to not conform to these conditions the City of Elma Fire Marshal will order that the fire be immediately extinguished and penalties may be assessed. Land clearing requires a permit from the applicable permitting agency.

Definitions

“Residential burning” means the outdoor burning of leaves, clippings, prunings and other yard and gardening refuse originating on lands immediately adjacent and in close proximity to a human dwelling and burned on such lands by the property owner or his or her designee. (WAC 173-425-030)

Conditions for Residential Burning (WAC 173-425-060(5)

• The person responsible for the fire must contact the permitting agency and/or any other designated source for information on the burning conditions for each day.
• A fire may not be ignited, and must be extinguished, if an air pollution episode, impaired air quality condition, or fire danger burn ban that applies to the burning, is declared for the area.
• The fire must not include garbage, dead animals, asphalt, petroleum products, paints, rubber products, plastics, paper (other than what is necessary to start a fire), cardboard, treated wood, construction/demolition debris, metal, or any substance (other than natural vegetation) that normally releases toxic emissions, dense smoke, or obnoxious odors when burned.
• The fire must not include materials hauled from another property.
• If any emission from the fire is detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of any person, if it causes damage to property or business, or if it causes a nuisance, the fire must be extinguished immediately.
• A person capable of extinguishing the fire must attend it at all times, and the fire must be extinguished before leaving it.
• No fires are to be within fifty feet of structures.
• Permission from a landowner, or owner’s designated representative, must be obtained before starting an outdoor fire.
• Any burn pile must not be larger than four feet by four feet by three feet.
• Only one pile at a time may be burned, and each pile must be extinguished before lighting another.
• If an outdoor container is used for burning, it must be constructed of concrete or masonry with a completely enclosed combustion chamber and equipped with a permanently attached spark arrester constructed of iron, heavy wire mesh, or other noncombustible material with openings not larger than one-half inch.
• No fire is permitted within five hundred feet of forest slash.

Burn barrels are prohibited by state law and by the Uniform Fire Code (UFC) as adopted by the City. Containers used for outdoor burning, must be constructed of concrete or masonry with a completely enclosed combustion chamber and equipped with a permanently attached spark arrester constructed of iron, heavy wire mesh, or other noncombustible material with openings not larger than one-half inch, and they may only be used in compliance with this chapter.(WAC173-425-050(5).

Land Clearing Burning Rules

All land clearing fires require a burning permit issued by the appropriate agency.

If the land clearing burning is to occur on property subject to the state fire protection assessment (generally, any land of more than 1/100 of an acre with vegetation on it) you must obtain a permit.

Land clearing burning on other properties within the City requires a burning permit issued by the City.

Violations of state and City outdoor burning regulations are subject to penalties.