Put debris in small piles so the fire will be hot, yet manageable. Wet or dirt-covered materials will cause fires to smolder and emit more smoke. Build debris piles in openings away from bodies of water, structures, or overhead branches and wires.

Piles can be covered with plastic or waterproof paper and anchored with additional slash. This practice will allow piles to be burned during periods of time when adjacent fuels are too wet to burn and control is not a problem or concern (remember to remove the plastic before igniting).

Create a control line. Scrape away debris and any other burnable materials several feet around the piles to be burned. The result should be bare soil around each pile.

Keep plenty of water and sufficient personnel, tools, and equipment ready in case of unexpected changes in fire behavior. Light the fire only when you have an update on safe weather and safe burning conditions. (e.g. winds calm, weather cool)

When possible, make plans to re-pile debris as piles are consumed. This will allow the fire to be put out as quickly as possible.

Stay with your fire. Be prepared to put your fire out if it becomes difficult to manage.

FOR YOUR PROTECTION
As fire danger rises, your permit period can be limited or issuance revoked completely. You must obtain a burning permit when burning on public or private property.

Burning permits are not available within the Whitefish, Columbia Falls, and Kalispell city limits, where open burning is prohibited. (See Kalispell City Ordinance 1197, or Whitefish City Ordinances 87-4 and 88-2)

CAUTION
Do not burn when high or erratic winds are forecast or dry conditions prevail. Do not attempt to bury any burning material as fire can and will burn underground, sometimes for several months!

BURN BARRELS

Burn barrels should not be used to burn garbage.

If burn barrels are used, please burn only agricultural or wildland debris.

ALTERNATIVES TO BURNING
Alternatives to burning include making a compost pile out of small organic materials, using thinning and logging debris for firewood, tilling vegetative waste materials into the soil, hauling debris to a landfill, chipping logging debris and slash, lopping and scattering logging debris, or machine crushing or trampling the logging debris.