Burn Permits

FIRE PERMITS  It’s The Law – RSA 227-L:17(II)

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 Town of Jaffrey Fire Department. You must be at least 18 years of age to obtain a written fire permit.  Click Here forState of NH Fire Permit Brochure

To receive a BURNING PERMIT contact the Jaffrey Fire Station at (603)-532-8377 or the On Call Fire Officer Cell phone at (603)-562-6030. If the phone is not answered please leave a message after the tone and the On Call Fire Officer will contact you.

When the ground where you are burning is completely covered with snow no fire permit is required. However please call the Jaffrey Fire Station or the On Call Fire Officer and leave a message stating your name, location and address of the burn and the time of day you will be burning.

 

FIRE PERMIT CATEGORIES

“Category I Fire” means a small controlled fire such as a camp or cooking fire no grater than 2 feet   in diameter contained within a ring of fire resistive material or in a portable fireplace. A category I fire, conditions permitting, may be kindled with a permit at any time of day whether raining or not.

“Category II Fire” means a controlled fire such as a camp or cooking fire no grater than 4 feet in diameter contained within a ring of fire resistive material or in a portable fireplace. A category II fire, conditions permitting, may only be kindled with a permit between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:00 am unless it is actually raining.

“Category III Fire” means any other fire, not a category I or category II fire or a fire greater than 4 feet in diameter or a fire not contained with in a ring of fire resistive material. A category III fire, conditions permitting, may only be kindled with a permit between the hours of 5:00 pm and 9:00 am unless it is actually raining.

“Category IV Commercial Fire” means a fire, other than a category I fire, conditions permitting, that can be kindled with a permit between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm weather raining or not. A permit for this fire would be issued jointly between the Forest Ranger and the Forest Fire Warden

Seasonal Permits are issued on an annual basis for Category I, II and IV Fires.

 Gas grills or charcoal fires in a container up and off the ground kindled by the landowner or with the landowner’s permission does not require a written fire permit.

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:

  1. be in an area cleaned to mineral soil at least 8 feet across;
  2. have at least 6 inches of sand or gravel under the fire for any fire built on the ground;
  3. have no limbs or other burnable material to a height of 10 feet above the fireplace area; and
  4. 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 can be burned. For any open burning a written fire permit is required. Even with the permit, no open burning 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.  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,  Open Burning Rules

What You Need To Know:  When you request a written fire permit you will need to know the following:

What are you going to burn?
Material must be clean ordinary combustibles. Brush cannot exceed 5 inches in diameter.

How much help will you have during the burn?
Your fire must be attended at all times, or completely extinguished.

Where are you going to burn?
How far from the nearest structure, trees and dead vegetation or overhead phone or power lines? Fires must be no closer than 50 feet from a structure, or 25 feet if in an approved incinerator.

 Do you own the land where you plan to burn?
If not, do you have written permission from the landowner?

 When do you want to burn?
Date, time of day, no burning 9:00 am to 5:00 pm unless its raining (permit needed even when raining).

Will you be able to extinguish your fire if someone complains?
Air pollution officials could require a fire be put out if there are smoke complaints.

What do you have for fire protection?
A hose, shovel or rake, and a bucket of water should be available at the fire. You are liable for the costs of extinguishing escaped fires.

Are there any tires or tubes in the material to be burned?
Tires, tubes, plastics, shingles, and foam rubber are just some of the prohibited materials.

 CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED PREDICTED FOREST FIRE DANGER CLASSIFICATION CLICK HERE

Commercial Permits:
The Forest Ranger for your town and local Warden are needed to issue a commercial permit to burn when no other means of disposal of material is available, such as chipping, hauling to a landfill or other methods of legal disposal. The commercial permit is for contractors who use hired help for the burning of material between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm and only needed when the ground is not covered with snow. 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.

 Thanks to NH Division of Forests and Land for the above info