Air Quality and Open Burning
Today’s Burn Conditions
Fall Burn Season Ended on 10/31/2019.
Spring Burn Season Begins 3/1/2020.
Residential open burn seasons run from March 1 – May 30 (Spring Open Burn) and from September 1 – October 31 (Fall Open Burn). Residential burn permits cannot be purchased outside of these seasons.
Agricultural open burning is allowed year-round.
Air Quality Forecast
- Grand Junction, CO - Air Quality ForecastLocation: Grand Junction, CO Forecast: Today, 01/29/2020: Good - Particle Pollution (2.5 microns) Tomorrow, 01/30/2020: Good - Particle Pollution (2.5 microns) Friday, 01/31/2020: Moderate - Particle Pollution (2.5 microns) Saturday, 02/01/2020: Moderate - Particle Pollution (2.5 microns) Agency: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Last Update: Wed, 29 Jan 2020 05:45:16 MST
The scale uses green for good, yellow for moderate, orange for unhealthy for sensitive groups, red for unhealthy, purple for very unhealthy and maroon for hazardous. The Air Quality Index above is also useful, but only monitors several County-wide sensors. Click here to learn more about AQI.
Residential open burn seasons run from March 1 – May 30 (Spring Open Burn) and from September 1 – October 31 (Fall Open Burn). Residential burn permits cannot be purchased outside of these seasons. Agricultural open burning is allowed year-round.
No Burn Advisory
If conditions warrant, a No Burn Advisory may be issued to protect the health of residents. When one is issued, restrictions are put in place on open burning or woodstove burning. Residents should note that woodstove burning restrictions do not apply to those who use a woodstove as a primary heat source.
To report a suspected illegal burn click here.
For questions about obtaining a burn permit
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- In Mesa County: Call 970-248-6900 or click here.
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- In the City of Grand Junction: Call 970-549-5800 or click here.
To see our latest burn guide click here.
Air quality is the state of air that promotes optimal health. Air quality impacts how you live and breathe. It can change from day to day, even hour to hour. Mesa County Public Health is constantly monitoring air quality with forecast models, measurement tools and observation. Our team utilizes this local data to inform and educate community members about current air quality conditions. This data, over time, helps shape local policies on clean air.
What impacts our Air Quality
We use a measurement system called AQI (air quality index) developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assign a numerical value to the air quality. This system takes four major air pollutants into account, ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. The higher the AQI, the greater the level of air pollution.
