Burn within the permit system
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Open burning ended last Friday, but that doesn’t mean burning won’t continue for a while.
As of Saturday, May 1, open burning is permitted but only by permit. Everyone who lives on the Flathead Indian Reservation and wants to burn woody material must obtain a burn permit through the tribes’ Division of Fire.
It sounds hard, but it’s really not. The dispatcher at the Division of Fire will be happy to walk you through the process.
You’ll need to provide some general information, including the legal description of the location of the proposed burning, a contact telephone number and mailing address.
All burners must comply with some basic guidelines, including restricting burning to daytime hours and only when smoke dispersion conditions are adequate. Daily smoke dispersal conditions can be obtained by calling the Division of Fire Office at 676-2550 or the CS&KT Air Quality Department at 883-2888.
The burn should be manned at all times that smoke is visible and the burner should ensure that the fire is dead-out.
Burners should also pay close attention to weather forecasts and avoid starting a burn in hazardous conditions. It’s worth remembering that all burners, whether permitted or not, could be held responsible for any damage done to other property or suppression effort related to the burn.
You should note, too, that permitted burning may be closed down during the summer months when fire danger levels rise or when closures take effect during severe fire seasons.
Be safe and do your best to control the flames and smoke created by your permitted burn. And, above all, keep our fire department’s dispatchers informed of your plans before starting your burn, by calling the Lake County Emergency Dispatcher at 883-7301 and CSKT’s Division of Fire Dispatcher at 676-2550.
