BURNING PERMITS

R652-120-500 Burning permits R307-202-4 General prohibitions R307-202-6 Permissible burning – without permit R307-202-8 Special conditions R307-204 Emission standards: Smoke management FFL-04-B-11 Prescribed fire plans and prescriptions

BURNING PERMITS

The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) has the authority to issue burning permits on all non-federal forest, range and watershed lands. Burning permits are issued in compliance with all state and local ordinances and regulations.

BURNING PERMIT ISSUANCE GUIDELINES The issuance of a burning permit is an important responsibility of the fire warden. The primary purpose of a burning permit is to assure that during the closed fire season (June 1 to October 31 or as extended by the State Forester) open burning is done safely. Open burning should adhere to all existing laws and should be limited to accomplishing the resource objective for which it is being conducted. A burning permit does not relieve any individual from personal liability due to negligence or incompetence. FFSL has no authority to require burn permits unless we have restrictions in place and never for the condition below.

Generally, burning permits are issued for small (de minimis) debris piles. A permit will not be required for burns involving the burning of fence lines, canals, and irrigation ditches, on cultivated lands if the burning does not pose a threat to forest, range, or watershed lands. Additionally, the individual must notify the nearest fire department of the time burning will occur. (A burning permit and written prescribed fire plan are also required for any prescribed fire for state or private lands greater than 20 acres or producing greater than 1,000 lbs of emissions.)

There are a number of factors to consider in issuing a burning permit, including the following: • Burning permit should provide a legal description of the location of the burn and the acreage involved. • The burning permit shall provide the type of burn and the purpose of the burn. • The burning permit will indicate the conditions under which the burn is allowed. This shall include a range for wind speed and direction, temperature, relative humidity and a smoke management strategy. • The burning permit shall indicate burning only within the provisions of the statewide clearing index for atmospheric dispersion. This requires that a clearing index of at least 500 must exist at the burn location before burning can occur. • A burning permit will indicate the time period that the permit is valid. It is recommended this time period be no longer than 5 to 7 days as conditions can change significantly in a relatively short time. When a burning permit is issued for an extended period of time