Recent winter weather in Grand County means the time is right to start the 2019-20 slash pile burn season.
Any fire larger than a campfire three feet in diameter requires a Grand County Burn Permit for $20 for individuals and $100 for commercial permits, in which material is brought in from other areas to be burned. The permits only apply to slash on private property, not demolition materials.
“Burn permits help track and manage the smoke from pile burning throughout the County; allowing burning only during appropriate air quality conditions and limiting the amount of burning that can occur on any given day,” according to a news release from Grand County Natural Resources.
Allowing residents to burn slash on their own properties helps the county remove potential wildfire fuels. While fire managers make efforts to reduce the smoke, some will be inevitable.
Grand County Natural Resources also partners with state and federal agencies to coordinate burning. For those operations, a burn plan is created, land managers survey the area and potential risks and must meet air quality standards.
Burn season starts once there is sufficient, season-long snow on the ground. The season typically runs to April 1 depending on the snowpack.