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OPEN BURNING FIRE SAFETY GUIDELINE The City of Whitefish Fire Department supports open burning for forest health, agricultural purposes, and wildfire mitigation purposes with the understanding that there are risks to these fires that will need to be controlled for safety and health reasons. These risks include air pollution posing a nuisance or health threat, obscured visibility along routes of travel, loss of fire control, and sparks. These risks are managed by enforcement of codes and regulations. City of Whitefish Open Burning Permit Requirements: 1. A permit is required for any open burning within the City of Whitefish. Open burning includes slash piles, field or ditch burning but not recreational fires. 2. A $25.00 non-refundable Inspection Fee will need to be paid at time of application. 3. The City of Whitefish’s Fire Marshal, or designee, may conduct a site inspection prior to the issuing of the permit. The Fire Marshal or his designee will approve or disapprove the permit request. While the Fire Department will do everything it can to conduct the inspection in a timely manner, please allow up to five working days for completion of the application process. 4. The Fire Marshal, or designee, may perform an on-site inspection or cancel any and all open burn permits at any time due to weather conditions or any other risk factors. 5. Each permit application shall include the following information: a. The property owner’s contact information and his / her approval for the burn. b. The on-site responsible party’s name and contact information for the burn. c. A site map that shows the best access to the site for fire apparatus. Allowable Burn Materials. Only natural vegetation (e.g. slash) no larger than 4-inch in diameter can be burned. Do not burn piles of pine needles or other yard rakings, as they produce considerable smoke and smolder. These fires are considered nuisance and health hazard fires and will be extinguished by the fire department. In addition, garbage or construction site wastes are prohibited materials and may not be burned. Recreational Fires, such as Campfires and Warming Fires do not require a permit; however, these fires may not be started if any fire restrictions have been put in place. The City of Whitefish Fire Department shall have the authority to cause any fire to be extinguished if it is determined that there is a danger to public safety, a danger to public or private property, a nuisance, sign of environmental harm or violation of regulations. If you have any questions regarding fire safety requirements within the City of Whitefish or the Whitefish Rural Fire Protection District, contact the Whitefish Fire Department at [PHONE REDACTED].