Open Burning Permits are required
whenever the ground is not snow covered. By definition,
in Minnesota Statute 88.16 subd. 2: "Snow-covered" means that the
ground has a continuous unbroken cover of snow, to a depth of three
inches or more, surrounding the immediate area of the fire, sufficient
to keep the fire from spreading.
An Open Burning Permit is NOT required:
For a "campfire"... "Campfire"
means a fire set for cooking, warming, or ceremonial purposes,
which is not more than three feet in diameter by three feet high,
and has had the ground five feet from the base of the fire cleared of
all combustible material.
When the ground is "snow-covered".
For a fire contained in
a charcoal grill, camp stove, or other device designed for the
purpose of cooking, or heating.
For a fire in an approved
burner, and there is no combustible material within five feet
of the base of the burner, and it is in use between the hours of
6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Prior to 6:00 p.m., a permit is required to
burn in a burner. The only material approved for burning is vegetative
material, such as grass, leaves, brush and untreated lumber.
The following materials are NOT allowed for
burning in Minnesota:
Hazardous wastes
Industrial solid waste
Demolition debris of commercial
or institutional structures. (A farm building is not a commercial
structure.) Burning of any structure should be referred to a forest
officer.
Salvage operations
Motor vehicles
Oils
Rubber
Plastics
Chemically-treated materials
Other materials which produce
excessive, or noxious smoke, such as, but not limited to: tires,
railroad ties, chemically-treated lumber, composite board, sheet
rock, wiring, paint, or paint filters.
Garbage, defined as discarded
material resulting from the handling, processing, storage, preparation,
serving, or consumption of food.
Since 1999 the Minnesota Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) has instituted statewide burning permit restrictions
each spring. During this period of traditionally high fire
danger, burning permits are not issued. However, a variance to
permit open burning may be obtained for special circumstances such
as:
prescribed fire projects
approved agricultural practices
construction projects
if an economic hardship
exists.
Variances may only be issued by DNR Forest
Officers. Dates of the restrictions are posted on the DNR
web site. Princeton Township is part of DNR Region
3. For an accurate up-to-date listing of burning restrictions, check
the DNR web site.
Often the media and the general public wrongly perceive that this
restricting of permit issuing is a "burning ban". Recreational
campfires are still permissible under restricted conditions.
Under extremely dry conditions, the Commissioner of Natural Resources,
or another unit of government, may declare a "burning ban" for
a specified area within the state. When this occurs, not only existing
permits are canceled and new permits not issued, but burning in approved
burners, recreational fires, and even smoking outdoors may be prohibited,
depending on the fire danger. This action is generally taken when
fire conditions become extreme across a broad area of the state (for
example, a number of counties or large geographic region).
Much more frequently the DNR uses restrictions or the non-issuance,
or revocation of burning permits to control open burning when local
fire danger is high. A burning ban is used only in the most severe
conditions and is more restrictive.
Burning Permits may be obtained from any of the following Fire Wardens
at no charge:
Burning Permits