Propane Firepit Restrictions - West Coast

ScottG: That is King county. Parts of Douglas, Chelan and Grant counties are under fire warning. Red flag comes down tonight at 10 hopefully

Seems like the rules on fires cover a lot of territory and are open to interpretation by campers, authorities and a lot of those self-appointed who think they know everything about anything and go out of their way to tell you that.

My solution is simple - I built an LED fire pit in a small bucket. Puts out all the ambience of a real campfire (flickering flames and all) without the heat or danger of starting a real fire, it can be totally extinguished by just unplugging, can easily run off the inverter when boondocking and as an added benefit there's no smoke, fumes or hot ash that always seems to follow some people with real campfires. The only downside is it can't roast hot dogs or do S'mores.

enblethen wrote:
We are currently in "Red Flag Warning"

Propane fire pit use is still acceptable Link

It is possible that even propane campfires are impermissible when boondocking in extreme drought conditions. For example, this is from the Inyo National Forest website, effective May 24, 2021:


Campfires allowed only in fire pits provided in developed campgrounds, see Exhibit A. (That exhibit lists the campgrounds.)

A portable stove or lantern using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel may be used with a valid wilderness permit. Dispersed camping requires a valid CA Campfire Permit for stove or lantern use.

No fireworks.

No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, a developed recreation site, or in an area at least 3 ft in diameter cleared of flammable material.


So if you classify a propane fire ring as a campfire, that seems to mean that you can't use it at all when boondocking. But if you classify a propane fire ring as a stove, then maybe you can use it, as long as you have a permit?

Personally, speaking as a drought-scarred Californian, we do not have any outdoor flame when boondocking. If you cause a forest fire, you could be ruined financially. And you'd feel bad, too. ;)

We are currently in "Red Flag Warning"

You really need to check with the local authorities or campground host. When I stayed at a Texas state park during a fire ban, they didn't even allow outdoor propane stoves, let alone fire pits.

Ivylog-you are correct, I have never used one of the fire pits. I do own property where we enforce a NO open flame other than cook stoves when the fire danger gets high. The property is used by family and friends only and they understand our desire to keep the property and them safe.

Last Year's Ruling ... Colorado allows them in even in a higher stage fire ban, as the device has an immediate gas disconnect (ON, OFF) to the burner, which is their definition of an allowable device, whereas other "pits and devices" have combustibles that do not/cannot immediately stop burning.

Here, the county authorities mostly chose to follow State and Federal guidelines for Fire Danger and restrictions... for the most part. There's always that exception, though, where arguing gets you nowhere successfully. My take on it is, "your park, your rules".

ScottG wrote:
In Wa they have always been allowed in State CG's no matter how bad fires are or what the burn-ban situation is. That's why we bought a PP firepit in the first place.

Same here. We have always been able to use our propane fire pit all summer long even during strict burn bans. Ours sits about 15" off the ground and does not get hot underneath. Same as a BBQ.

When a burn ban states "no open flames", they mean no open flames including propane fire pits. Forest fires consume hundreds of thousands of acres of forest every year. People lose their homes and sometimes their lives. The rules regarding burn bans are painted with broad brushes by necessity. The authorities are not interested in policing and determining who has a "safe" fire and who does not. When given the choice of taking maximum precautions to prevent a catastrophic forest fire or getting some camper's panties in a wad because they can't use a propane firepit, precaution and protection is the obvious choice.