Open Burning
Slash Pile Burn Season is Closed
Due to the extraordinary conditions, burn season is now closed for all properties within Grand County. The final day of open burning was Friday, March 13.
A campfire is allowed, one per property, with no permit or notification required, as long as there is no fire ban or red flag warning in effect. A campfire is defined as a 3 foot by 3 foot fire and can be an efficient method of disposing of smaller amounts of slash by feeding material in to the campfire throughout the day.
Current Fire Danger and Restrictions
Please call 970.887.0745 with questions or concerns.
About Open Burning in Grand County
Grand County allows large-scale open burning only during the winter months and under favorable air quality conditions. The program applies solely to private property owners burning slash piles—not trash or structures. Burn season opening and closing dates depend on weather and sufficient, lasting snowpack, typically running from late November through March. The Division of Natural Resources begins issuing permits in mid-October, which remain valid for the entire season and expire around April 1 or when snow conditions are no longer adequate for safe burning.
Burn days are determined based on air quality and weather conditions that allow good smoke dispersal, preventing local air quality impacts. Typically, this occurs during unstable weather patterns that break nightly inversions and allow smoke to rise and disperse.
Grand County offers open burn permits for private property owners to safely dispose of slash piles during the winter months only. Permits are required for piles larger than 3’x3’x3’ and are valid for the entire burn season.
Methods to apply
Please contact us directly by calling 970-887-0745 for a burn permit application. The Standard Permit fee is $30 and the Commercial Permit fee is $100.
Questions?
Call 970-887-0745
Permit Requirements
- Required for piles exceeding campfire size (3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft).
- Must be applied for by the property owner.
- Burning allowed only during winter months with adequate snow cover.
- Daily approval from Grand County Natural Resources (GCNR) required before ignition.
- Piles may be inspected prior to permit issuance.
- Burn area must be attended at all times while flames are present.
- The permit must be on-site during the burn with the burn supervisor.
- Only untreated wood may be burned; no hazardous materials, construction debris, stumps, or dirt.
- Pile sizes are limited to no larger than 15 ft x 15 ft x 10 ft within subdivisions with lots less than 5 acres, unless GCNR or Fire Department personnel grant an exception.
- Material should be dried at least one year before burning; large material (greater than 6 inches in diameter) limited to 30% of pile density.
- HOA regulations take precedence over County rules.
- Burn season is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
- Any violation renders the permit null and void and may result in enforcement action.
Types of Open Burning Permits
- Standard Permit – $30, issued to property owners burning slash originating from their property, being burned on their property. This also covers the property owners that have hired someone else to burn their piles for them, on their property. Pile(s) may be inspected by GCNR at any time.
- Commercial Permit – $100, issued to any business or individual collecting slash and burning on a property from which the material did not originate OR any project that exceeds 900,000 cubic feet of slash (approximately fifty 50x50’x20’piles). Commercial permits are required to be inspected in order to obtain a permit for the current season.
If your piles are behind a locked gate, please provide the combination/code in the space provided on the Permit Application. If the piles are not immediately visible, a map is helpful, particularly on larger properties.
Note: Local or statewide fire bans can supersede and prohibit any type of burning.
We accept Cash, Check, Electronic Check, or Credit Card. There is a transaction fee of $1.00 for electronic checks, a fee of $1.44 for standard permits paid by credit card and a fee of $3.02 for commercial permits paid by credit card. These fees are applied automatically, please do not add them yourself. Checks should be made payable to GCNR.
Burn Application Process
- Inspection & Permit Issuance: After submitting your application, your burn piles will be inspected. Once approved, your permit will be issued (usually by email) after payment is received. Mail or in-person pickup is also available.
- Payment for open burn permits may be made by cash or check, or submitted electronically via the link in the online application. If you wish to pay by cash or check, please let us know by email.
- Permit Validity & Daily Call: The permit is valid for the entire burn season. You must call GCNR every day before lighting any pile to register your burn. Not calling & registering can result in substantial fines.
- Burn Days & Hours: Burn days and times depend on daily smoke dispersal conditions. Call 970-887-0745 after 7 a.m., 7 days a week, each day you wish to burn.
Questions?
Call 970-887-0745
2025-26 season summary
415 permits issued countywide
Breakdown by Fire Protection District:
- Fire Protection District No. 1 (Granby) - 122
- Fire Protection District No. 2 (Grand Lake) - 58
- Fire Protection District No. 3 (Hot Sulphur Springs / Parshall) - 22
- Fire Protection District No. 4 (Fraser Valley) - 161
- Fire Protection District No. 5 (Kremmling) - 52
98-day season (December 5–March 13)
8,258 piles permitted; 3,843 piles burned
4.6 million cubic ft permitted; 1.9 million burned