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Burn Permits and Fire Safety Guidelines
There are a number of State, County, and Local statutes, codes, and ordinances that govern the use of fire within the City of Whitefish and the Whitefish Rural Fire Service Area. Because of fire hazards to persons and property, the Whitefish Fire Department has created a number of Fire Safety Guidelines to assist the public with the safe use of fire. These guidelines are available here Version OptionsBurn Permits and Fire Safety GuidelinesHeadline or at the City’s Fire Station located at 275 Flathead Avenue, Whitefish, Montana.
Open Burning in the spring starts March 1 and ends on June 30. There is no open burning allowed from July 1 through September 30. Fall open burning begins October 1 and the annual season ends on November 30. Permits are $25 and are required for open burning within City limits. More information about open burning can be found here Version OptionsBurn Permits and Fire Safety GuidelinesHeadline.
Permittees are required to check the current conditions online at https://app.egovmt.com/burnpermit prior to burning each day. All burn piles must be constantly attended, completely extinguished, and cold to the touch by sunset.
Download your burn permit application
General Guidelines for Fire Permits
| Permit Type | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Bonfires | Permit Required |
| Indoor Fireworks/Pyrotechnics | Permit Required |
| Indoor Open Flame | Contact the Fire Marshal for requirements: 406-863-2481 |
| Open Burning | Permit Required |
| Outdoor Fireworks/Pyrotechnics | Permit Required |
| Outdoor Open-Flame Cooking Devices | Generally, no permit required |
| Recreational Fires | Generally, no permit required |
Prohibited Items
As stated in the City Codes 4-2-5 (PDF) it is unlawful to burn:
- Carbon
- Organic Debris
- Paper Goods
- Papers
- Rubbish
- Solid Waste
- Any other type of combustible matter outdoors within the City
An Open Burning Permit is required for open burning within City Limits and be applied for at the City Clerk’s Office.
Open Burning Ordinance Conditions
- A permit may be issued where 20 yards or more of wood fires have accumulated from logging or clearing of insect infected timber.
- Permits will rarely be issued to anyone wishing to burn trade waste, things other than brush, grass, and small diameter tree clippings. Those wishing to do so must also receive a permit from the Flathead City/County Health Department.