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Terms of use

Last updated:

Who we are

BeforeYouBurn.com, the BeforeYouBurn app, BeforeYouBurn text messages and PublicFireSafety.com are owned and operated by Public Fire Safety, LLC ("PFS", "we"). By using BeforeYouBurn, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use it.

What BeforeYouBurn is

BeforeYouBurn shows the outdoor burning rules of the fire agencies and other authorities that cover a location, combined into one answer, and lets you register and check in your burns.

PFS is not a burn authority. We never open or close burning ourselves. Your fire agency and the other authorities covering your location set the rules. When we cannot confirm the status for a place, we show "Status unknown" and tell you which agency to call.

Free for residents

Checking the status, registering a burn, checking in and receiving notices are free. Some agencies charge a fee for their own burn permits. That fee belongs to the agency, not to PFS.

Registration is not permission

  • A registration never gives you permission to burn. Permission is always the status at the moment you burn. Agencies can close burning at any time, for example because of wind, dry weather or smoke.
  • Check the status again on the day, and check in before you light. Check-in works only while burning is allowed.
  • If the status says "Contact the agency before burning" or "Status unknown", do not burn until you have spoken to the agency shown.
  • If burning closes after you register, do not burn. Tell us you are not burning, or cancel the registration.
  • Our notifications, such as a "do not burn" text, are a courtesy. They can be late or fail to arrive. The status on BeforeYouBurn, or your agency's direct instruction, is what counts.

Your responsibilities

You are responsible for:

  • burning safely and following every law, permit condition and instruction from your fire agency, including any instruction to put the fire out;
  • giving true and complete information when you register, including the location and your contact details;
  • staying with your fire until it is completely out, and reporting when it is out.

In an emergency, call 911. BeforeYouBurn is not an emergency service.

Your account

You do not need an account to check the status. To register a burn, you sign in with a phone number or email address that you prove is yours with a one-time code. Keep access to that phone or email secure, and do not register burns in someone else's name without their permission.

Acceptable use

Do not:

  • interfere with the service, try to get around its security, or overload it;
  • collect information about other people from it;
  • copy, resell or reverse engineer the service or its software, except as the law allows;
  • remove copyright or other notices from our materials.

We may suspend access that breaks these terms.

Accuracy and disclaimer

We work to show each agency's rules accurately and promptly, but the service is provided "as is". To the extent the law allows, PFS makes no warranties, express or implied, including fitness for a particular purpose, and does not guarantee that the service is always available, accurate, complete or current. When in doubt, contact your fire agency.

Limitation of liability

To the extent the law allows, PFS and its suppliers are not liable for any damages arising from the use of, or the inability to use, BeforeYouBurn, including loss of data or business interruption, even if we were told such damage was possible. Some jurisdictions do not allow these limitations, so they may not apply to you.

We link to fire agencies and other sites. We are not responsible for their content, and a link is not an endorsement.

Privacy and text messages

The privacy policy explains how we handle your information. The SMS terms apply to text messages.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The date at the top shows the latest version. By continuing to use BeforeYouBurn, you accept the current version.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Oregon, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules.

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