Direct answer: Do not burn branches, brush, pruning debris, or firewood in a recreational fire pit during Snohomish County’s Stage 2 burn ban. The complete outdoor burn ban took effect at 12:01 a.m. on August 7, 2026, and remained in effect until further notice when checked on August 10. Burn permits are also suspended. Plan to use curbside yard-waste service, an approved recycling location, or a qualified tree service when the material is too large or unsafe to handle.
Stage 2 update: checked August 10, 2026
The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Stage 2 notice prohibits all outdoor burning, including residential yard-debris fires and recreational fires in fire pits. The county says the ban will remain in effect until further notice.
Separate county provisions allow propane fire tables, gas-fueled cooking appliances, charcoal grills, and certain self-contained wood-pellet cooking devices. Placement and ash-handling conditions apply. Do not assume that every appliance or fire setup is allowed. Check the county’s current outdoor burning information before use.
What should I do with a pile of branches or brush?
Choose a non-burning option based on the pile’s location, size, and hazards. You may be able to use curbside yard-waste collection or take clean material to a yard-debris recycler. Larger limbs, hanging branches, damaged trees, and material near utilities need a different plan.
| What you see | Safest next step |
|---|---|
| Small pruning debris already on the ground | Check your collection provider’s rules for branch size, bundles, bins, and pickup days. |
| A large pile that will not fit your yard-waste service | Contact a listed yard-debris recycler before loading. Confirm accepted materials, hours, limits, and current fees. |
| Branches touching or hanging near electrical lines | Stop and call the utility first. Do not cut, pull, climb, or use a ladder near the lines. |
| Debris blocking a public street or access route | Stay out of traffic. Call 911 if access is blocked. Report other county-road vegetation concerns to Snohomish County Road Maintenance. |
| A split, leaning, uprooted, or storm-damaged tree | Keep people away and arrange an on-site assessment. A photograph cannot confirm that a damaged tree is safe. |
| Tree work within a public right-of-way | Contact the city or county before cutting. A right-of-way permit may be required. |
Can I burn the debris if I already have a permit?
No. Outdoor burn permits are suspended for the duration of the Stage 2 ban. A permit issued earlier does not provide permission to burn while the suspension is active.
The statewide prohibition announced August 1 covers most outdoor and agricultural burning through September 30, 2026. However, the governor’s office states that stricter local restrictions still control. In Snohomish County, that means following the more restrictive Stage 2 county rule while it remains active.
Do not use a recreational fire pit to dispose of pruning debris. The county treats debris fires and recreational fires as different activities during normal conditions, but both are prohibited under the current Stage 2 ban.
Where can branches and clean wood go?
Start with your curbside provider, then check a permitted yard-debris recycler. Snohomish County Solid Waste does not provide curbside pickup. Its service-provider map helps residents identify the company serving their address.
County transfer stations and drop boxes do not currently accept yard debris, clean branches, stumps, or wood chips. The county instead directs residents to curbside service or alternate composting and green-waste businesses. Its current yard and clean-wood debris list includes locations and examples of accepted material.
Call the provider or recycling site before making a trip. Acceptance can depend on branch diameter, stump size, soil, treated wood, mixed garbage, or other material in the load. Secure the load for transport and do not leave debris beside a facility, road, utility property, or someone else’s container.
What if branches are near a power line?
The utility is the first call when branches are touching, hanging over, or growing close to electrical lines. Do not try to identify the type of wire or judge a safe working distance yourself.
Snohomish County PUD’s tree-maintenance guidance says work within 10 feet of a primary conductor must be performed by a qualified electrical worker. The PUD offers review by its vegetation-management staff for trees around its lines. It also notes that its responsibilities may differ for service lines and standalone communication lines.
If a line is down, sparking, on a vehicle, or involved in an immediate danger, stay away and call 911. Snohomish County PUD directs customers to report a downed line or outage by calling 425-783-1001. Do not move a branch or wire, and do not enter the area to take close photographs.
Can I stack the debris until the ban ends?
Temporary storage may be reasonable, but keep the pile from creating a new access or tree problem. From ground level, choose a location away from streets, sidewalks, gates, driveways, utility equipment, and areas used by emergency responders. Do not place brush where it blocks visibility for drivers or pedestrians.
Keep children and pets away from unstable piles. Do not stack heavy limbs against a standing tree, fence, building, or utility pole. If branches are too heavy to move without dragging, overhead lifting, power equipment, or working on a slope, leave them in place until qualified help is available.
A stored pile does not become legal to burn just because the material dries out. Recheck the county’s burn-ban status before making any future burning decision. Normal permit, location, air-quality, and fire-district rules may still apply after Stage 2 ends.
Who handles branches in a road or public right-of-way?
Contact the agency responsible for the road before doing tree work in the right-of-way. Snohomish County says its Road Maintenance crews manage vegetation along county-maintained roads. Residents can report vegetation that impedes safe use of a county road or sidewalk by calling 425-388-7500.
If debris is blocking the street or preventing access, the county directs residents to call 911. Do not stand in a traffic lane or attempt to direct vehicles around a limb yourself.
Cutting, trimming, or removing a tree within an opened county right-of-way may require a C9 right-of-way permit. City streets have their own rules and contacts. Ask the correct city or county office before arranging work. Property lines and private easements can also affect who has authority to approve tree work.
When does a branch pile point to a larger tree concern?
Look beyond the debris when it came from a split limb, cracked trunk, uprooted root plate, or repeated branch drop. These signs do not prove that a tree will fail, but they support getting an on-site assessment.
- A large branch tore away and exposed fresh wood at the trunk.
- Another heavy limb is hanging above a home, parking area, or walkway.
- The trunk developed a new crack or changed its lean.
- Soil lifted or opened around the base.
- The damaged tree is close to a road, occupied structure, or utility line.
Observe only from a safe location on the ground. Do not walk under hanging limbs, climb the tree, or begin cutting to “test” whether the remaining wood is sound. For more context, see the Comprehensive Tree Services guide to recognizing possible hazardous-tree signs.
What is the practical next step?
First resolve any emergency, utility, road, or permit issue. Then choose a lawful non-burning cleanup option. Small ground debris may fit your collection provider’s program. Larger loads may need a green-waste recycler. Tree damage, overhead limbs, and debris that cannot be handled safely from the ground may call for professional help.
If you need help deciding the safest next step for a tree on your property, request a tree assessment from Comprehensive Tree Services. Confirm the available service, debris-handling plan, and disposal arrangements before scheduling work.
Information can change. Check linked sources for current restrictions, permits, and local guidance.
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