Propane Fire Pits During Summer Burn Bans in Washington and Oregon

Not legal or electrical advice. This guide summarizes published manuals, codes and agency pages as of the date above. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Confirm your plans with a licensed electrician or contractor and your local building department before you buy or install.

Key facts

There are two kinds of burn bans. Summer fire safety bans (fire marshals, DNR, the governor) target wildfire starts. Winter air quality bans (Puget Sound Clean Air, LRAPA, Multnomah County, Southwest Clean Air) target smoke. They treat gas differently.
In summer 2026 most Washington orders exempted gas: the Governor's proclamation for "stoves or grills," King County for "natural gas or propane appliances," Mercer Island for "fire tables," and Vancouver for "approved natural gas or propane fire appliances with proper safety clearances."
Not everyone did. Pierce County's Stage 2 notice prohibited "backyard fire pits and fireplaces" and named only barbecues as allowed. Portland's ban covered "fire pits" and allowed propane only for barbecuing.
Smokeless wood pits got no exemption anywhere we checked.
The Governor's order says it does not override stricter local rules. In practice, the most restrictive agency covering your address decides.

Sources: Washington Governor's Proclamation 26-03 and 26-03.1; DNR 2026 burn ban factsheet and July 15, 2026 release; King County Fire Marshal; City of Mercer Island; Pierce County Fire Prevention Bureau (via Central Pierce Fire & Rescue); Clark County Fire Marshal; City of Vancouver; Portland Fire & Rescue; Oregon Department of Forestry. All read October 22, 2026. Links at the end.

Why this question has no single answer

A propane fire table sits in a gap in most burn ban wording. Bans are written around two categories everyone understands: open fires (campfires, bonfires, backyard pits, debris piles) and cooking appliances (grills, smokers, camp stoves). A gas fire table looks like the first and works like the second. It has a valve, it shuts off instantly, it throws no embers, and it burns no solid fuel. Some agencies wrote it into the allowed list by name. Some wrote "gas appliances," which a fire table plainly is. Others wrote "fire pits" in the banned list without saying what fuel, and only named grills and barbecues as allowed. Under those, a propane fire pit is a judgment call that belongs to the fire marshal, not to you or the seller.

The 2026 season made this practical rather than theoretical. Washington had what the Governor's office called a record-setting fourth consecutive statewide drought, and by August 1 more than 1,000 fires had burned about 425,000 acres, per the Governor's announcement. Bans stacked on top of each other: city, county, DNR and then statewide.

What each 2026 order said about gas

Agency and ban	Dates in 2026	Wood fire pits	What the text says about gas	Our read for a propane fire table
Washington Governor, Proclamation 26-03 (all 39 counties)	Aug 1 to noon Sept 30	Banned, except small campfires in a structure such as a fire ring on private property, subject to the property owner's and local restrictions	Exempts "liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves or grills over a non-flammable surface and at least five feet from flammable vegetation"	Likely fine on a non-flammable surface 5 ft from vegetation, but the text says stoves or grills, and local bans still apply
DNR burn ban (land under DNR fire protection)	Eastern WA from July 17; factsheet as of Aug 2026	Campfires banned "even in established pits"	Allows propane stoves with on/off switches and "propane campfire pits used for campground or backcountry use"; July release requires a "functioning shut-off valve"	Propane pits are named, framed around campground and backcountry use. Call your DNR region for a backyard
King County Fire Marshal, Stage 2 (unincorporated)	County-wide Stage 2 from Aug 6; Mercer Island says lifted Oct 1	Banned ("ANY outdoor fires")	OK to use "Natural gas or propane appliances like patio warmers," following the maker's recommendations	Allowed as a gas appliance
City of Mercer Island, Stage 2	Aug 6 to Oct 1	Banned	"The ban does not include propane, natural-gas-fired, or charcoal grills, fireplaces, fire tables, and other gas-fired appliances"	Allowed, named explicitly
Pierce County Fire Marshal, Stage 2 (unincorporated)	From Aug 17	Banned, including "backyard fire pits and fireplaces"	Allows "Barbecues that use gas, wood, or charcoal" on a non-combustible surface	Unclear. Fire pits are banned without a fuel distinction. Ask the Fire Prevention Bureau
City of Vancouver total recreational ban	From June 17 "throughout the summer and fall or until conditions improve"	Banned, including outdoor fireplaces and chimney-style devices	"Approved natural gas or propane fire appliances with proper safety clearances may still be used"	Allowed if approved and properly cleared
Clark County Fire Marshal (unincorporated)	Outdoor burning from July 15; recreational fires added Aug 7; lifted Oct 1	Banned from Aug 7	Says self-contained camp stoves are not banned; does not mention gas fire tables	Not addressed. Ask the Fire Marshal's Office
Portland Fire & Rescue	Issued June 15; lifted Oct 15	Banned ("recreational campfires, fire pits")	Allows barbecuing on grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances using fuels including propane and natural gas	Unclear. Fire pits are banned and propane is named only for cooking. Call PF&R
ODF West Oregon District regulated closure (forestland)	Effective June 15	Prohibited except at designated locations at moderate and high danger; prohibited everywhere at extreme	"Portable appliances, camp stoves, and fire pits using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed at all levels of fire danger in areas clear of flammable vegetation"	Allowed, named explicitly, on land the closure covers
ODF Douglas District regulated closure (forestland)	Effective May 30	Open fires prohibited except at designated sites	"Portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed elsewhere"	Only cooking stoves are named. Ask the district

Dates are as the agencies published them. We did not find a primary-source end date for the Pierce County Stage 2 ban or the ODF district closures, so check the live status pages before you rely on any row.

Washington in detail

The statewide ban

Proclamation 26-03, signed August 1, 2026 under RCW 43.06.220(1)(h), prohibited "all outdoor and agricultural burning in all 39 Washington Counties until noon on Wednesday, September 30, 2026," and Proclamation 26-03.1 on August 10 kept it in place through the same date. It listed three things it did not cover: gas-fueled or liquid-fueled stoves or grills over a non-flammable surface at least five feet from flammable vegetation; permitted agricultural and silvicultural burning; and campfires in parks and campgrounds, or small campfires in a structure such as a fire ring on private property, under the rules of whoever controls that property. It also said, in plain terms, "Nothing in this order supersedes more restrictive provisions of the counties, municipalities, fire districts, other political subdivisions, or public or private landowners."

Two practical points follow. First, the five-foot vegetation rule and the non-flammable surface are conditions, not suggestions. A fire table on a cedar deck next to a planter of dry grasses does not meet them. Second, because local bans win, in King County the stricter Stage 2 rules decided what you could light, and those happened to allow gas.

DNR-protected land

If you live in a rural area and pay a forest fire protection assessment, you are under DNR fire protection, according to DNR's factsheet, which says to check last year's tax statement or ask the county assessor. DNR's list of allowed devices is the most specific of any Washington agency: liquid gas and propane stoves that do not use solid briquettes and have on/off switches; camp stoves and lanterns with attached pressurized canisters; and "propane gas camp stoves or propane campfire pits used for campground or backcountry use." Not allowed: campfires "even in established pits," stoves that use briquettes, and non-pressurized liquid-fuel lanterns, stoves and tiki torches. DNR says a violation is a crime, and if your fire escapes you pay for the suppression under chapter 76.04 RCW. For a device not on the list, DNR asks you to contact your DNR region office or local fire district.

Counties and cities

King County's Fire Marshal runs a two-stage system for unincorporated areas. Stage 1 still allows recreational fires in metal or concrete pits with rules that include 25 feet from structures, 10 feet from vegetation, overhanging branches at least 20 feet above the flames, and no burning in wind over 15 miles per hour. Stage 2 bans "ANY outdoor fires" and lists as OK "Natural gas or propane appliances like patio warmers," gas and charcoal grills, and pellet smokers, following the maker's recommendations. Mercer Island's Stage 2 notice went further and named "fire tables." Pierce County's August 17 Stage 2 notice did not: it banned "recreational burn pits, backyard fire pits and fireplaces" and allowed only barbecues. In Clark County, the county ban covered unincorporated areas, while the City of Vancouver ran its own total recreational ban from June 17 that expressly allowed approved gas and propane fire appliances.

Incorporated cities often follow the county stage but are not required to. Pierce County's notice tells city residents to contact their own jurisdiction, so if you live in Tacoma, Puyallup or Gig Harbor, the county page is not your final answer.

Oregon in detail

Portland and the metro area

Portland Fire & Rescue and the Multnomah County Fire Defense Board issued a burn ban starting June 15, 2026 that covered "recreational campfires, fire pits, yard debris, agricultural burning and permits issued for open burning." It allowed outdoor barbecuing on "grills, smokers, and similar cooking appliances" using fuels that included propane and natural gas, with at least 10 feet between cooking and anything combustible. The ban was lifted October 15. Because "fire pits" were banned and propane was named only as a cooking fuel, a propane fire table falls in the unclear group. Ask PF&R at 503-823-3700 before relying on one next summer. Winter is a separate question; Multnomah County's red day rules are in our Oregon fire pit guide.

Forestland under ODF protection

The Oregon Department of Forestry issues regulated closure proclamations under ORS 477.535 to 477.550 for lands its districts protect, mostly forestland and the rural edges around it. They are written district by district, and the wording on gas differs. West Oregon's 2026 proclamation says "Portable appliances, camp stoves, and fire pits using liquefied or bottled fuels are allowed at all levels of fire danger in areas clear of flammable vegetation," and requires a shovel plus a gallon of water, a 2.5 pound or larger extinguisher, or a charged hose where fires are allowed. Douglas's 2026 proclamation bans open fires except at designated sites and allows "portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels" elsewhere, without mentioning gas fire pits. ODF publishes an interactive map where you click your location to see the restrictions that apply.

Eugene and Springfield in winter

Lane Regional Air Protection Agency's rule is the reminder that "it's gas" is not a universal exemption. Its definition of a recreational fire includes fire pits and patio fireplaces burning natural gas or propane, and those are banned on yellow and red home wood heating advisory days inside the Eugene, Springfield and Oakridge boundaries from October through May. Details in our Oregon guide.

What makes a propane fire pit easier to defend

Where an order allows "gas appliances" or "approved" gas fire appliances, these features line up with the conditions agencies actually wrote:

A listed, manufactured appliance. King County's allowed list is "manufactured portable outdoor devices," and Vancouver's says "approved." Outdoor GreatRoom, for example, says its Crystal Fire Plus burners are listed to ANSI Z21.97 and UL listed. A homemade burner ring in a stone pit is a harder case.
A real shutoff. DNR asks for on/off switches and a functioning shut-off valve. Outdoor GreatRoom says its thermocouple senses the main burner flame and shuts off gas if the flame goes out.
No solid fuel. DNR excludes briquette stoves, and every wood ban covers wood. Lava rock and fire glass are fine; tossing in a log is not.
A non-flammable surface and five feet from vegetation. That was the Governor's condition. Pavers or concrete work; a wood deck, dry lawn or bark mulch does not.
The maker's clearances. Gas tables follow their manuals. One Outdoor GreatRoom spec sheet lists 72 inches from the burner to overhead combustibles. See fire pit distance from a house.

Before you light a propane fire pit in a ban

Find every agency over your address: city, county fire marshal, fire district, DNR or ODF protection, and in winter your clean air agency.
Read the current ban text. Look for the words "gas appliances," "fire tables," "approved natural gas or propane fire appliances," or "fire pits using liquefied or bottled fuels."
If it only says "grills" or "barbecues" are allowed and "fire pits" are banned, call before you light. Note the name and date of whoever answers.
Set the table on a non-flammable surface at least five feet from vegetation, and meet the manual's overhead and side clearances.
Keep a hose or a 2.5 pound or larger extinguisher nearby, and turn the gas off at the tank when you are done.
If wind picks up, shut it down. King County's recreational fire rules stop burning above 15 mph, and that is sensible for gas too.

Buying for next summer

If you are choosing a fire pit mainly so you can use it in July and August, buy a manufactured, listed propane table with a shutoff and a tank compartment, and plan a paver or concrete pad for it. Our best fire pits of 2026 list has propane picks from Outdoor GreatRoom and Solo Stove with their published BTU, size and warranty. For the bigger tradeoffs, see wood vs gas vs smokeless.

Sources

All read October 22, 2026.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a propane fire pit during a burn ban in Washington?

Usually during a summer fire safety ban, but read the exact order. Washington's 2026 statewide ban (Governor's Proclamation 26-03, August 1 to noon September 30) exempted "liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves or grills over a non-flammable surface and at least five feet from flammable vegetation." King County's Stage 2 ban allows natural gas or propane appliances, and Mercer Island said its Stage 2 ban did not include gas fire tables. Pierce County's Stage 2 notice banned backyard fire pits and named only barbecues as allowed, so ask there.

Does the Washington governor's burn ban allow propane fire pits?

The 2026 proclamation does not use the words fire pit for gas. It exempts liquid-fueled or gas-fueled "stoves or grills" over a non-flammable surface at least five feet from flammable vegetation, and it says it does not override stricter county, city, fire district or landowner rules. A propane fire table is a gas appliance, but it is not literally a stove or grill, so the safer reading is to follow your county or city ban, which usually speaks to gas appliances more directly.

Are propane fire pits allowed during a DNR burn ban?

On land under DNR fire protection, DNR's 2026 burn ban factsheet allows liquid gas and propane stoves that do not use solid briquettes and have on/off switches, and "propane gas camp stoves or propane campfire pits used for campground or backcountry use." Campfires are banned even in established pits. DNR's July 2026 Eastern Washington ban said pressurized gas and propane stoves need a functioning shut-off valve. For a backyard device not on the list, DNR says to call your region office.

Can I use a propane fire pit during a Portland burn ban?

Portland's 2026 summer burn ban, issued June 15 and lifted October 15, covered "recreational campfires, fire pits, yard debris, agricultural burning" and open burning permits. It allowed outdoor barbecuing on grills, smokers and similar cooking appliances using fuels including propane and natural gas. It did not separately address propane fire tables, so call Portland Fire & Rescue at 503-823-3700 before relying on one during a ban.

What about Oregon state forest fire restrictions?

Oregon Department of Forestry regulated closures apply to forestland under ODF protection, not to most city backyards, and each district writes its own. West Oregon's 2026 proclamation allows portable appliances, camp stoves and fire pits using liquefied or bottled fuels at all fire danger levels in areas clear of flammable vegetation. Douglas's proclamation only names portable cooking stoves using liquefied or bottled fuels. Check ODF's interactive restrictions map for your exact location.

Is a smokeless fire pit allowed during a summer burn ban?

No. Smokeless pits such as Breeo and Solo Stove burn wood, and the 2026 bans we read in King County, Pierce County, Clark County, Vancouver and Portland all stopped wood fires in backyard pits during their strictest stages. A cleaner burn does not change the fuel.

Are winter air quality burn bans the same as summer burn bans?

No. Summer bans come from fire marshals, DNR or the governor and target wildfire risk. Winter bans come from clean air agencies and target smoke. The gas rules differ: Puget Sound Clean Air's ban text names wood and charcoal, while Lane Regional Air Protection Agency's definition of a recreational fire includes propane and natural gas fire pits on yellow and red days in Eugene and Springfield.

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