Ada County no longer issues burn permits or requires its Fire Districts to do so. Ada County now allows open burning in rural areas, PROVIDED that the weather forecast permits and the Air Quality Index (AQI) is 60 or below. Ada County cares deeply about our Treasure Valley air quality. Help us keep our precious Treasure Valley air clean and safe by knowing and following these rules before you burn.
Rules & Weather Conditions
In Order to Burn Safely, the Following Conditions Must Be Met Prior to Burning:
- Burning Hours Are From 8:00 AM to Sunset
- You or a Competent Representative Shall be in Constant Attendance Until All Fire is Extinguished
- NO Burning Shall Take Place on Days When Adverse Weather Conditions Create a Hazard
- You Shall Have Available Fire Fighting Equipment Such as Sacks, Buckets, Shovels, Pitch Forks, Garden Hoses and Water Supply (if available)
- Notify Your Neighbors of the Burning to Take Place
** Please determine which fire district you are in prior to burning, and check that district’s regulations (see map on the side). If you are within city limits, you are subject to city burning regulations. **
The daily Air Quality Index (AQI) is determined by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). It is your responsibility to check the air quality index prior to burning to be certain it allows open burning on the day you’re planning to burn. The AQI must be at 60 or below for open burning to be permitted!
To Check Today’s AQI, You Can:
- Call the DEQ Burn Ban Hotline at 373-0313
- Visit the DEQ air quality website.
- Burn Barrels Are NOT Legal!
- Lawn Clippings
- Garbage or Residential Waste
- Construction Waste
- Demolition/Salvage Debris
- Oil or Grease
- Junk Motor Vehicles
- Commercial or Industrial Waste
- Petroleum Products
- Paints
- Railroad Ties
- Telephone Poles
- Rubber Materials
- Dead Animals
- Animal Waste
- Tar or Tar Paper
- Tires
- Hazardous Materials
- Plastics
- Asphalt Materials
- Preservative-Treated Wood
- Pathogenic Waste
- Insulated Wire
- Irrigation ditches and fence rows
- Garden and tree trimmings with branches no larger than 1/2 inch in diameter
- Small piles of dry leaves where no leaf pick-up service is available
- Weeds for control to alleviate a fire hazard when no alternative control method exists
- Field and crop residue burning: Burning of crop residue in Idaho requires a permit from DEQ. This applies to all harvested fields, pastures, CRP and HIP lands, and food plots, regardless of the field size. For more information, call the Crop Residue Burning Hotline at 1-866-224-2456 or visit DEQ’s Web site and check on the Growers: Crop Residue Burning Link.
NOTE: Burn Piles must be no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height.
Additional Resources & Information
You can also visit the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for additional resources and information on burning regulations and ordinances in your city or other areas of the Treasure Valley. Click the link above and scroll to the chart at the bottom of the page to find this information.
Helpful Links
Ada County Open Burning Code (Title 5, Chapter 2, Section 7-2), Ada County Fire Districts Map, North Ada County Fire & Rescue, Boise Fire Dept., Meridian Fire Dept., Eagle Fire, Star Fire, Kuna Fire, Melba Fire, National Weather Service Forecasts
