MISSOULA – March 1 ushered in the controlled burn season in Missoula, and fire crews have already been busy.
The Missoula Rural Fire department is offering advice on how to stay safe and keep your fires in control.
First things first: Go grab your controlled burn permit.
“Permits are required for your burns. You can get those at your local fire station or online,” says Captain Michael Bowman
Remember that even after you purchase your permit, you need to activate it the day you plan to start a fire.
“Make sure you go onto the burning website or call in to the burning hotline and fill in your information to activate your permit for that day”
Remember to try and schedule your burn well in advance and also consider weather in your plans.
“When you are burning, we like to have people pre-plan their burns a little bit. If you have a very large pile to burn, some of the things you might be able to do is just do smaller piles and just add to them throughout the day," says Bowman. "Also check your weather conditions, just be prepared for any unexpected weather that might occur you should get some heads up on the weather for the day.”
If a fire starts to get out of control, don’t hesitate to call the fire department immediately.
“We also advise people if you feel the sense that your fire is getting away, don’t try and fight the fire yourselves. Contact 911 immediately. The sooner you call the sooner we can get resources to you to assist,” Bowman said.
You can click here to purchase or activate a burn permit online.
