Washington

History[]

On May 2, 1843, a pioneer-led government was formed as the Provisional Government of Oregon, encompassing all land between the 42nd parallel to the 54° 40' parallel, with the continental divide serving as the eastern border, and the Pacific Ocean as the western border. On June 15, 1846, all land north of the 49th parallel was ceded to Briton, ending the Oregon Boundary Dispute. On March 2, 1853, the northern half of the Oregon Territory was partitioned, forming the Washington Territory. On November 11, 1889, the State of Washington was admitted to the Union, becoming the 42nd state within the United States.

Counties[]

Fire Service Providers[]

Excluding state and federally operated fire protection agencies, there are 6 types of fire protection agencies within the State of Washington;

• Fire Protection Districts
• Regional Fire Authorities
• Port Fire Departments
• Municipal Fire Departments
• Tribal Fire Departments
• Industrial Fire Departments

Fire Protection Districts[]

On March 1, 1939, the Washington State Legislature passed RCW Title 52 concerning Fire Protection Districts. These districts are formed by voters approval to levy taxes within their jurisdiction to provide fire protection to unincorporated land within a county. As of November 1, 2025, are are 334 fire protection districts; of them, 29 contract services from a neighboring jurisdiction, and 16 of them are participating agencies in various Regional Fire Authorities. A total of 289 fire protection districts are currrently active.

Regional Fire Authorities[]

In 2004, the Washington State Legislature passed Chapter 52.26 within Title 52 concerning Regional Fire Authorities. Regional Fire Authorities (RFAs) allow for any combination of Fire Protection Districts, Municipal Fire Departments, and Tribal Fire Departments to formally merge operations under one organization for the purpose of providing fire protection services.

Port Fire Departments[]

A Port Fire Department is formed to cover project sites within a Port District, which can include marine ports (both sea ports and inland port), rail ports, and airports. These districts are formed by voters approval to levy taxes within their jurisdiction to support regular economic port functions, and in some cases, funding an independant fire protection service.

Municipal Fire Departments[]

Municipal Fire Departments are formed within incorporated Cities and Towns for the provision of fire protection services. Of the 281 municipalities in Washington, 161 have not voted to annex into an adjacent or surrounding jurisdiction; of them, 102 are active fire departments, 50 contract services from an adjacent or surrounding jurisdiction, and 9 of them are participating agencies in various Regional Fire Authorities.

Tribal Fire Departments[]

Tribal Fire Departments are formed on Native American reservations for the provision of fire protection services. There are 29 federally recognized tribal reservations; of them, only 6 maintain their own fire departments.

Industrial Fire Departments[]

Industrial Fire Departments are formed by companies to provide fire protection services to a plant, industrial area or facility.

About[]

Washington has 39 counties.