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1. BURN TIMES

Burn times change throughout the year – and at times you are unable to burn.  If there is currently a burn ban in effect, you will be unable to receive a temporary burn permit.

Unless there is a current burn ban in effect please use the following burn times:

a. February 15th – April 30th: Open burning is restricted to the hours of 4:00pm – 12:00 Midnight

b. May 1st – September 30th: Burning is restricted by size.  The open burn shall not exceed the size of a Bonfire.

c. October 15th – December 15th: Open burning is restricted to the hours of 4:00pm – 12:00 Midnight

(Click here to find out if you are burning legally)

2. What is a bonfire?

Bonfire: The term “bonfire” is used to describe an outdoor fire utilized for ceremonial purposes.  Bonfires shall not exceed a pile size of five (5) feet by five (5) feet by five (5) feet.

3. Where is burning always prohibited

Burning is always prohibited the urban service area unless:

Open burning is permitted in accordance with any restrictions the fire marshal may impose for public safety purposes for bona fide fire services instruction with a permit from the fire marshal; for campfires or other fires used solely for recreational and similar purposes or for outdoor noncommercial preparation of food; for safety flares or for warming of outdoor workers.

Permissible open burning, recreational fires, and use of portable outdoor fireplaces shall be attended at all times by a person eighteen (18) years of age or older and with legal authority by the owner or agent of the property until the fire is extinguished.

The attendant of permissible open burning, recreational fires, and portable outdoor fireplaces shall have a means to extinguish the fire to include but not limited to portable fire extinguishers or fire extinguishing equipment, such as dirt, sand, water barrel, garden hose or water truck.

4. Can I have a cooking or warming fire in the urban service area?

These are not Prohibited if it is an outdoor fireplace being used in accordance with the manufactures instructions (metal screen on top) and greater than 15 feet from a structure or combustible material.

Also, not Prohibited if it is a recreational fire (warming or cooking) is completely contained within a ring of rocks, cinderblocks, metal ring or similar device and also covered by a ¼” or smaller metal screen.

Recreational fires shall be 25 feet from a structure if the size is 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height.

Constantly attended with adequate means extinguishment.

5. When I am allowed to burn, how far do I need to be away from a structure or combustible material?

Recreational fires should be no less than 25 feet from a structure or combustible material.

Bonfires and land clearing shall not be conducted within 50 feet of a structure or combustible material.

The location of the burning shall take place on the premises of private property and shall not be less than 300 feet from any occupied building unless the occupants have given prior permission other than a building located on the property on which the burning is conducted. 

For commercial operations, the burning shall be at least five hundred (500) feet from any occupied building other than a building located on the property on which the burning is conducted. 

6. What Can I burn?

The open burning of garbage and refuse is prohibited, except the open burning of land-clearing refuse in an open pit incinerator on the site of clearing operations resulting from commercial, industrial, or residential development, the construction of roads or highways, railroad tracks, pipelines, and power or communication lines, and agricultural operations, with a permit from the fire marshal. The burning shall be at least three hundred (300) feet from any occupied building other than a building located on the property on which the burning is conducted.

The burning of leaves and tree, yard, and garden trimmings on residential property in the regulated area is allowed only outside the urban service area.

7. What Can I NOT burn?

You cannot burn the following:

Construction waste: The term “construction waste” means solid waste which is produced or generated during construction of structures.  Construction waste consists of lumber, wire, sheetrock, bricks, shingles, glass, pipes, concrete and metal and plastics if the metal or plastics are a part of the materials of construction or empty containers for such materials.  Paints, coatings, solvents, asbestos, any liquid, compressed gases or semi-liquids and garbage are not construction wastes and the disposal of such materials must be in accordance with the regulations of the state waste management board. 

Garbage: Solid waste from the domestic and commercial preparation, cooking and disposing of food and from the handling, storage and sale of produce.  The term “garbage” also includes rotting animal and vegetable matter.  

Hazardous waste: The term “hazardous waste” means refuse or combination of refuse which, because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may:

Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating illness; or

Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed or otherwise managed.

Household refuse: The term “household refuse” means waste material and trash normally accumulated by a household in the course of ordinary day to day living.

Industrial waste: The term “industrial waste” means all waste generated on the premises of manufacturing and industrial operations such as, but not limited to, those carried on in factories, processing plants, refineries, slaughter houses and steel mills.