Outdoor Backyard Burning
Contact Us
East Multnomah County burn line: (503) 618-3083
Report illegal or unsafe burning: (503) 823-3333
Smoke or nuisance-related complaints: (503) 618-2355
Other Helpful Links
Types of Outdoor Burning
- Agricultural Burning
- Backyard Burning
Backyard burning is only recommended for those without the ability to dispose of yard debris in another way. While backyard burning is allowed on certain days, it negatively impacts air quality and can be harmful to sensitive populations, including children, the elderly and people with asthma.
Burning is Not Allowed:
- If it creates a public or private nuisance
- If it is a safety hazard
- When it unreasonably interferes with the enjoyment of life or property
- On commercial properties
Unacceptable Burning Materials
- Rubber products
- Tires
- Plastic
- Garbage
- Petroleum and petroleum-treated materials
- Asphalt or industrial waste
- Any material that creates dense smoke or noxious odors
- Construction materials
- Stumps
Yard Debris Burning Guidelines
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) authorizes 10 backyard burn days in the spring and 10 in the fall, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, if DEQ deems burning is allowed for those days. Property owners may be subject to liability, citation, fines and/or firefighting costs from the City and DEQ in violation of unsafe burning practices, and damage to neighboring property or structure. Contact the Gresham Burn Line at 503-618-3083 before burning.
- Burn piles must be no larger than 6 feet in diameter and 3 feet high
- Burn piles must be 25 feet from any combustible materials (houses, fences, etc.)
- Burn piles must be attended by a competent person at all times
- You must have the means to extinguish the fire (energized garden hose, fire extinguisher, shovel, etc.)
- Burn piles must contain only yard debris from your yard; no other material may be burned
- Burn piles must be extinguished if wind gusts reach 15 mph
Fire Pits:
- Fire pits are for recreational use only
- Fire pits can accommodate fires no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high
- Fire pits must be attended at all times
- You must have a means of extinguishing the fire
- The fire must be 15 feet from flammable material (house, fence, etc.)
- You may only burn hardwood or fireplace logs in a fire pit: no garbage, yard or construction debris
- Fires must be extinguished if wind gusts reach 15 mph
- If the fire causes excessive smoke and complaints are made by neighbors, the fire must be extinguished