Rules for Outdoor Burning in Missoula County Montana

From Lolo (south) to Seeley Lake (north), Missoula County, Montana, operates with two Outdoor Burning Seasons. Each requires a $7 Burn Permit and has limitations on what, when and where residents can burn.

General, Agricultural & Wildland Burns with Missoula County Permit System

Do you live in the Missoula City Air Stagnation or Impact Zone?

Spring Permit Season

Fall Permit
Season

BURN CATEGORIES
Missoula County residents are served by three types of Outdoor Burn Permits: - GENERAL Yard Waste - ESSENTIAL Agriculture - PRESCRIBED Wildland. Permits are available for purchase March 1st.

IMPORTANT
City of Missoula has an Air Stagnation Zone that allows NO OUTDOOR BURNING without a permit:
More info.

MISSOULA COUNTY BURNING RULES & REGS

BURN SEASONS

Note: If possible, conduct your burn in March and April. Permits are typically suspended by July, due to fire danger. No Yard Debris Burns in the Fall!

Burns on public lands, such as those managed by the US Forest Service in Montana and Idaho, are managed by the Airshed Management System. MORE.

GENERAL BURNING
Homeowners Can Burn Yard Waste

ESSENTIAL AGRICULTURE
Landowners Can Burn for Agricultural Best Practices

PRESCRIBED WILDLAND
Landowners Can Burn to Reduce Wildlfire Hazards & Improve Ecosystems

Missoula County MT
BURN PERMIT CATEGORIES

Spring | Fall

BURN PERMITS: 5 STEPS NEEDED

1. Burning SEASON? (YES-NO)

2. Got Your PERMIT? (YES-NO)

3. ACTIVATE your Permit ? (YES-NO)

4. Firewise SAFETY TIPS? (YES-NO)

5. FINISHED by 4 pm ? (YES-NO)

Steps fully explained...

IMPORTANT: No outdoor burning in the City of Missoula and its Air Stagnation Zone without a permit. Strictly enforced. Only cooking fires are allowed, under certain conditions**. More info.

• ACTIVATING THE BURN PERMIT
To activate your Burm Permit, CALL 1-888-583-6497 (number listed on Permit) or go Online to the Permit Website after 9 am ON THE DAY of your burn. Follow directions. Note: SPRING burning is affected by air quality and/or fire danger. In the FALL, Go/No Go Burn Decisions are based on airshed and elevational conditions.
ONLINE PERMIT: https://app.egovmt.gov/burnpermit/

• THINKING FIREWISE
Knowing WHAT and HOW TO BURN is as important as getting a Burn Permit and Activating it Online or by phone the day that you burn. Remember: If your fire gets out of control,YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION COSTS as well as any damage YOUR FIRE causes to the surrounding community.

WHAT you CAN burn:
* ONLY natural vegetation and untreated dimensional lumber generated on your own land / property.

WHAT you CANNOT burn:
* Wastes generated by a business.
* Material from other locations.

MCFPA's ONLINE BURN PERMIT system is a big help to our firefighters. Most emergency responders are volunteers in Montana's rural areas. Our County Burn Permit system automates the reporting of permitted (legal, wanted and temporary) outdoor burns. It allows us to better track smoke plumes and inform the public.

We also rely on you, the Outdoor Burn Permittee, to follow reasonable rules to keep us all safe during fire season! Thank you for reading this information.

Examples of prohibited materials include household garbage, dead animals, animal droppings, treated wood, chemicals or synthetics, such as rubber and plastics.

*** Burning prohibited materials can produce harmful smoke or even cause explosions and you can be charged with illegal burning.***

* 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 city limits. Leaves and clippings simply produce too much smoke.

• KNOW YOUR BURN SEASONS & WHAT YOU CAN BURN
If you want to burn yard waste (leaves, grass, branches) or manage vegetation (agriculture or forested property), and you live outside the Missoula Air Stagnation Zone, you can burn outdoors in the Spring with a General Outdoor Burn Permit available *March 1 - August 31.

During the Fall, *October 1 to November 30, ONLY Essential Agricultural or Prescribed Wildland burning allowed a Burn Permit. *Limits apply.

• GETTING A BURNING PERMIT
Every fire ignited in Missoula County, including on public land, requires a Burn Permit, with the exception of small cooking or campfires when fire danger allows. To obtain a Burn Permit, visit our ONLINE PERMIT WEBSITE and fill out the application, including choice of payment (credit card or electronic check. See FAQs if you must pay in Cash).

Note: Missoula city residents with a minimum of one acre must get a permit in person at the City-County Health Department. You can also get a Permit in-person from your rural fire department, but remember that many offices are staffed by volunteers who work during the day and only respond to emergency calls, so it's best to check before you go.

• 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. Air inversions tend to break up by 9 am. Waiting until after 9 am to ignite your burn lets the smoke disperse better. Afternoon winds are also typical in the spring. 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.

BURNING CLOSED:
All Outdoor Burn Permits are suspended. Read more.

STAGE II RESTRICTIONS:
*No campfires / smoking +
No combustion engines, welding / explosives, vehicles off roads EXCEPT...* Read more.

When Fire Danger Increases
Fire officials will restrict fire use and fire-starting activities in Missoula County when the Fire Danger Rating demands:

STAGE I RESTRICTIONS:
No campfires or smoking outside vehicles or approved areas. Read more.