GETTING A BURNING PERMIT
With the exception of small cooking or recreational fires, every fire ignited in Missoula County -- including
those started on public lands for resource management -- requires a burning permit, now available online for a $5 fee (new in 2012).
To obtain a permit, visit the ONLINE PERMIT WEBSITE and fill out the application, including choice of payment system. You
can still get a permit from fire departments, but remember many of the fire districts in western Montana are staffed by volunteers
who work during the day and only respond to emergency calls, so there may be nobody at the station when you call or stop by. Don't
give up! Leave a message and you'll soon be on your way to a bit of Firewise burning. Read your permit carefully for important information.
ACTIVATING THE BURN PERMIT
To activate your permit,
CALL 1-888-583-6497 (the phone number listed on your permit) after 9
am ON THE DAY that you want to burn. Please note: SPRING burning is affected by air quality and/or fire danger. In the FALL
in Missoula County, it's based on airshed and elevational conditions.
ONLINE PERMIT: https://app.mt.gov/burnpermit/
THINKING
FIREWISE
Knowing WHAT and HOW TO BURN is as important as getting a permit and activitating it through the website. Remember: If your
fire get out of control,YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION COSTS as well as any damage the fire causes to the surrounding community.
FIRE OUT BY 4 PM
All General Outdoor Burns must begin after 9 am and be fully extinguished by 4 pm, unless your local fire department
has granted an extension. Reasons: Air inversions are common in the Missoula Valley. In the spring and summer, they
tend to break up by 9 am. Waiting until then to ignite lets the smoke disperse better. Afternoon winds are also typical. So for safety
reasons, your fire MUST BE completely dead out--NO SMOKE AT ALL--by 4 pm. Additionally, smoke dispersion is poor after sunset,
so a fire left smoldering overnight can cause smoke to build up, bothering neighbors and adding to Valley pollution.
WHAT you can burn:
* ONLY burn natural vegetation and untreated dimensional lumber that is generated on your property. Burning prohibited
materials can produce harmful smoke or even cause explosions and you can be charged with illegal burning.
WHAT you can't burn:
*
Wastes generated by a business.
* Material moved from other locations to your property.
* Piles of leaves or grass clippings
cannot be burned IF YOU LIVE within the Air Stagnation Zone, which includes the City of Missoula and an area roughly 4 1/2 miles
around it. Leaves and clippings simply produce too much smoke.
Examples of prohibited materials include household garbage,
dead animals, animal droppings, treated wood, chemicals or synthetics, such as rubber and plastics.
PRECAUTIONS when burning:
To prevent your fire from spreading to surrounding vegetation and structures, think like a firefighter and
take every precaution:
* Build your debris piles in vegetation openings, away from overhead
branches and wires, structures and
other burnable materials.
* Scrape debris and any other burnable material away from your piles,
so material is surrounded
by several feet of bare soil.
* Once you ignite your debris, attend your fire continuously.
* When you think your fire
is out, check ashes for glowing embers.
With a new introduction of oxygen (generated by stirring ashes), even a few live coals will
shortly produce smoke. Make sure your fire is dead out!
* Keep water and tools ready in case of fire- or weather-related
changes.
* Always have sufficient help, tools and equipment to control the fire.
Equipment for Burning:
You probably have
the equipment to conduct a
safe outdoor burn. MCFPA recommends the following items:
* a reliable water source
* a good sturdy
shovel
* some heavy gloves
