How BeforeYouBurn works
BeforeYouBurn brings together the burning rules of every agency that covers your address and gives you one answer, the reason for it, and who to call.
Check your addressRead the FAQ
Four steps, from checking to putting it out
Check the status
Enter your address or use your location. You see the answer for that place and that kind of burning, the reason, and your fire agency's contact. No account needed.
Register your burn
If burning is allowed, register the day you plan to burn. Your fire agency can then see where a burn is expected if someone reports smoke.
Check in on the day
Before you light, check in. We check the live status at that moment. You can only check in when burning is Allowed.
Tell us when it is out
When the fire is completely out, report that it is out. If you change your plans, say "I'm not burning" or cancel the registration.
The four answers
When you check an address, you get one of four answers.
| Answer | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Allowed | Every agency that covers this place allows this kind of burning right now. | You can register and check in. Follow your agency's rules and stay with your fire. |
| Not allowed | At least one agency has closed burning here today. | Do not burn. The page shows who closed it and, when known, when it may reopen. |
| Contact agency | The agency asks you to contact it before burning here, for example because it issues its own permits. | Call or visit the agency shown on the page. |
| Unknown | We cannot confirm the rules for this place, for example because an agency that covers it is not set up on BeforeYouBurn yet. | Do not assume you can burn. Call the agency shown on the page. |
One answer from many agencies
The same piece of land can be covered by a fire district, a county, state forestry and an air-quality agency. Each can have its own rules. BeforeYouBurn checks all of them. If any one of them says no, the answer is Not allowed. Burning is only Allowed when every agency that covers the place allows it.
The answer is about a kind of burning at a time. Debris burning can be closed while another kind of burning is open, and an agency can close burning for a few hours or for the rest of the day.
A registration is not permission
Registering a burn tells your fire agency what you plan to do. It does not give you permission to burn. Conditions can change between the day you register and the day you burn. What counts is the status at the moment you light the fire, which is why you check in first.
If burning closes on a day you registered, your registration stays visible to your fire agency, and we try to send you a "do not burn" message. Messages are a courtesy: always check the status yourself before you burn.
Who sets the rules
Fire agencies set the rules. BeforeYouBurn shows them. We never open or close burning ourselves. When we cannot vouch for a place, we show Unknown and send you to the agency, rather than guess.
Messages and the app
You can get text messages, email or app notifications about your burns and about closures where you live. You choose what you get, and you can stop at any time. See SMS terms and get the app.
Free for residents
Checking the status and registering a burn are always free. Some agencies charge for their own burn permits; that fee goes to the agency, not to us.