Online Fire Permits

Fire Permits Required
Online Fire Permits
Fire Permits Required

Fire Permits are required for all outside burning in Waterville Valley. Due to changes with social distancing standards and restrictions on the public at the department, all citizens are encouraged to complete an online application for burn permits. If you have questions you are invited to call the station at 603-236-8809. Online permits can be accessed here: https://nhdflweb.sovsportsnet.net/ at the NH Division of Forest and Lands website. 

Anyone who wishes to burn clean, ordinary combustibles such as leaves, brush or untreated lumber, or have a camp or cooking fire MUST have written permission from the landowner and a fire permit from the local forest fire warden or local fire department in the town or city where the fire will be kindled. You MUST be at least 18 years of age to obtain a written fire permit.

Public or privately owned camp or picnic grounds must obtain an annual written fire permit from the town forest fire warden for use of outside fireplaces, camp or cooking fires used in the operation of the camp or picnic grounds. Such camp or cooking fires should:

  • be in an area cleaned to mineral soil at least 8 feet across;
  • have at least 6 inches of sand or gravel under the fire for any fire built on the ground;
  • have no limbs or other burnable material to a height of 10 feet above the fireplace area; and
  • be constructed so they cannot be moved from their mineral soil area.

What You Can Burn and When

Only leaves, woody debris or brush less than 5 inches in diameter, or untreated wood and dimension lumber (subject to Env-A 1001.05(g) below) can be burned. For any open burning, written fire permit is required. Even with the permit, no open burning is allowed between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm unless it is raining.

 When the ground where you are burning is completely covered with snow no fire permit is required. However, be sure to check local ordinances that might restrict winter-time burning.

The permittee will be required to have suppression equipment on-site while the burning is being done and the fires will have to be totally extinguished or be constantly attended.

Air quality regulations restrict the type of material burned in the open. Stumps, painted or treated lumber, tires, tubes, plastics, foam rubber,and shingles are some of the prohibited materials (see Department of Environmental Services, Air Resources Division Open Burning Rules). Per Env-A 1001.05(g) "On-site burning, by the owner of a private, single-family residence occupied by the owner, of untreated wood, provided the material originates on-site".

Commercial Permits

The Forest Ranger for your town/city and local Warden are needed to issue a commercial permit to burn when no other means of disposal of material is available, such as chipping, hauling to a landfill or other methods of legal disposal.