Burn Ban in effect June 25th to October 1st
6/24/2024
The Payette County Board of Commissioners adopted, in collaboration with the Fire Chiefs and the Sheriff, an Open Burning Ordinance on June 12, 2023. This ordinance is designed to help protect the health, safety, and property of Payette County Citizens by defining opening burning, identifying safe times of the year to open burn, and prohibiting the burning of certain materials.
In the ordinance, it identifies that open burning will be prohibited in the unincorporated parts of the county from July 1 to October 1 of each year (this year the ban begins on June 25th). Some of the exemptions during this time frame include recreational or cooking fires, ag burning as authorized by the Idaho Dept. of AG, in season fireworks as permitted by Idaho Code and/or County Ordinance, and residential burning in a burn barrel as defined.
The Sheriff’s Office and Fire Districts will work with the citizens in Payette County to educate them on details of the new ordinance. The first offense under this ordinance is an infraction; however, a second or subsequent offense within five years will be a misdemeanor. Fires that cause damage to another person’s property would result in a misdemeanor citation.
“The Payette County Burn Ordinance is an important step toward ensuring not only the health and safety of our citizens and the protection of our property, but toward protecting the limited resources of our local fire departments. Our local departments are funded by taxpayers, and we must be good stewards of those dollars. The board worked hard to create a comprehensive ordinance without any unnecessary government overreach.” (Board of County Commissioner Chairman Anne-Marie Kelso)
It is requested that anyone who plans to open burn notify dispatch at 208-642-6006 ext 0. Full details of the ordinance can be found at payettecounty.org