Open Burn Regulations
Process to Obtain Burn Permit
When open burning is permissible, permits for the Harrison, Pony, Norris, Summit Valley fire district can be obtained by calling:
Joe Husar, Fire Chief
(406) 685-3245
(406) 685-3249
(406) 491-2729
or
John Armstrong, Lifetime Member
(406) 287-3308
When obtaining a burn permit, you will need to provide your name, address, phone number, a description of what you are planning to burn, resources you will have available (water, personnel, equipment, tools, etc.), and, if possible, a legal description of where the burn will be located. Permits are usually issued with a one month time frame to utilize them.
On the day of the burn, a person must notify the Sheriff's office that they will be burning and will be asked to provide their name, address, phone number and their permit number.
Please note that residents in some areas not inside our district are still required to obtain a permit through our district because this district will be the one responding to fires in those areas. In addition, some parts of Madison County are located within the Whitehall fire district and residents of those areas are required to obtain permits through us. If you have any questions about these areas, please see our district map and contact either Joe or John at the numbers listed above.
Current Notice to All Madison County Residents
As of July 15th, the Madison County Commissioner's and Dept. of Emergency Management will no longer allow open burning and no burn permits will be issued or activated until further notice.
76-13-121. Permit for burning required. (1) During the wildfire season or an expansion of the wildfire season, a person may not ignite or set a fire, including a slash-burning fire, land-clearing fire, debris-burning fire, or, except as provided in subsection (2), an open fire without an official written permit to ignite or set the fire from the recognized agency for that protection area.
(2) (a) If no restrictions are in place, a permit is not needed for recreational fires measuring less than 48 inches in diameter that are surrounded by a nonflammable area or structure and for which a suitable source of extinguishing the fire is available.
(b) A recreational fire may not be ignited if special restrictions prohibiting recreational fires have been established by an authority having jurisdiction.
(2) (a) If no restrictions are in place, a permit is not needed for recreational fires measuring less than 48 inches in diameter that are surrounded by a nonflammable area or structure and for which a suitable source of extinguishing the fire is available.
(b) A recreational fire may not be ignited if special restrictions prohibiting recreational fires have been established by an authority having jurisdiction.
