Safe Burning

Ada County no longer issues burn permits or requires its Fire Districts to do so. Ada County now allows open burning in rural areas, PROVIDED that the weather forecast permits and the Air Quality Index (AQI) is 60 or below. Ada County cares deeply about our Treasure Valley air quality. Help us keep our precious Treasure Valley air clean and safe by knowing and following these rules before you burn.

	In Order to Burn Safely, the Following Conditions Must Be Met Prior to Burning:

Burning Hours Are From 8:00 AM to Sunset

You or a Competent Representative Shall be in Constant Attendance Until
All Fire is Extinguished

NO Burning Shall Take Place on Days When Adverse Weather Conditions Create
a Hazard

You Shall Have Available Fire Fighting Equipment Such as Sacks, Buckets,
Shovels, Pitch Forks, Garden Hoses and Water Supply (if available)

Notify Your Neighbors of the Burning to Take Place

** Please determine which fire district you are in prior to burning, and check that district’s regulations (see map below). If you are within city limits, you are subject to city burning regulations. **

Air Quality Index (AQI)

The daily Air Quality Index (AQI) is determined by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). It is your responsibility to check the air quality index prior to burning to be certain it allows open burning on the day you’re planning to burn. The AQI must be at 60 or below for open burning to be permitted!

To Check Today’s AQI, You Can:

Call the DEQ Burn Ban Hotline at 373-0313
Visit the DEQ air quality website at http://www.deq.idaho.gov/air-quality/monitoring/daily-reports-and-forecasts.aspx

Additional Resources & Information

You can also visit the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) via the link above for additional resources and information on burning regulations and ordinances in your city or other areas of the Treasure Valley. Click the link above and scroll to the chart at the bottom of the page to find this information.

Helpful Links: Ada County Fire Districts Map, North Ada County Fire & Rescue, Boise Fire Dept./Whitney Fire, Meridian Fire Dept., Eagle Fire Dept., Star Fire Dept., Idaho Fire Departments, National Weather Service Forecasts, Ada County Ordinance #744

Click here to learn more about Ada County's
Air Quality Initiatives!

Materials NOT Legal to Burn:

Burn Barrels Are NOT Legal!
Lawn Clippings
Garbage or Residential Waste
Construction Waste
Demolition/Salvage Debris
Oil or Grease
Junk Motor Vehicles
Commercial or Industrial Waste
Petrolium Products
Paints
Railroad Ties
Telephone Poles
Rubber Materials
Dead Animals
Animal Waste
Tar or Tar Paper
Tires
Hazardous Materials
Plastics
Asphalt Materials
Preservative-Treated Wood
Pathogenic Waste
Insulated Wire

Materials Legal to Burn:

Irrigation ditches and fence rows
Garden and tree trimmings with branches no larger than 1/2 inch in diameter
Small piles of dry leaves where no leaf pick-up service is available
Weeds for control to alleviate a fire hazard when no alternative control method exists
Field and crop residue burning: Burning of crop residue in Idaho requires a permit from DEQ. This applies to all harvested fields, pastures, CRP and HIP lands, and food plots, regardless of the field size. For more information, call the Crop Residue Burning Hotline at 1-866-224-2456 or visit DEQ’s Web site at www.deq.idaho.gov and click on the Growers: Crop Residue Burning Link.

NOTE:
Burn Piles must be no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height.