Permission To Burn

Anyone who wishes to burn clean, ordinary combustibles such as leaves, brush or untreated lumber, or have a camp or cooking fire MUST have written permission from the landowner and a fire permit from the local forest fire warden or local fire department in the town or city where the fire will be kindled. You MUST be at least 18 years of age to obtain a written fire permit. Permission to burn forms MUST be filled out yearly (January 1st-December 31st).

Public or privately owned camp or picnic grounds must obtain an annual written fire permit from the town forest fire warden for use of outside fireplaces, camp or cooking fires used in the operation of the camp or picnic grounds. Such camp or cooking fires should:

  • Be in an area cleaned to mineral soil at least 8 feet across;
  • Have at least 6 inches of sand or gravel under the fire for any fire built on the ground;
  • Have no limbs or other burnable material to a height of 10 feet above the fireplace area; and
  • Be constructed so they cannot be moved from their mineral soil area.

What You Can Burn and When

Only leaves, woody debris or brush less than 5 inches in diameter, or untreated wood and dimension lumber (subject to Env-A 1001.05(g) below) can be burned. For any open burning a written fire permit is required. Even with the permit, no open burning is allowed between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm unless it is raining.

When the ground, where you are burning, is completely covered with snow no fire permit is required. However, be sure to check local ordinances that might restrict winter-time burning.

The permittee will be required to have suppression equipment on site while the burning is being done and the fires will have to be totally extinguished or be constantly attended.

Air quality regulations restrict the type of material burned in the open. Stumps, painted or treated lumber, tires, tubes, plastics, foam rubber and shingles are some of the prohibited materials (see Department of Environmental Services, Air Resources Division Open Burning Rules). Per Env-A 1001.05(g) "On-site burning, by the owner of a private, single-family residence occupied by the owner, of untreated wood, provided the material originates on site".

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