Spring Burn Season begins March 1. As our agricultural community prepares to plant, and residents gear up for their gardens for spring; Mesa County Public Health wants to remind our community that if you plan to burn, you need a burn permit.
Each Fall and Spring there is a Burn Season, but new this time around, Mesa County Public Health will issue burn permits to residents within City of Grand Junction limits. Previously, those permits were issued by the Grand Junction Fire Department. “We’ve been able to work collaboratively to align our permitting system,” Epidemiology Program Manager, Heidi Dragoo said. “It’s a win for residents and our fire districts to have the permits go through one central place.” The burn season for residents within City limits continues to be one month shorter and ends on April 30. In Mesa County, Spring Burn Season ends on May 31.
The easiest way to get a Burn Permit is to apply online at health.mesacounty.us. This online tool has been re-designed and is easier than ever to navigate and use. Your permit will be emailed to you right after check out.
- Agricultural Burn Permits are issued with no fee and burning is allowed year-round.
- Residential Burn Permits cost $25 for both Spring and Fall Seasons and the money is reinvested in your local fire protection district.
- If you would like assistance with the online system or wish to apply in person, visit Mesa County Public Health, at 510 29 ½ Road, or give us a call at 970-248-6900.
Once you have a permit, it’s important to monitor air quality, weather and other safety alerts. Your permit is not valid if there is a red flag warning, fire restriction or no burn advisory in place. To protect the health of our residents, Mesa County Public Health issues no burn advisories if there are air quality concerns. We post air quality information on the front page of our website so it’s easy to find and know whether it is OK to burn or not.
Open burning pollutes the air and poses a fire hazard. Consider alternatives, such as composting or wood chipping, if possible. The Mesa County Organic Materials Composting Facility at Mesa County Solid Waste, 3071 U.S. Hwy 50, accepts organic materials like leaves, grass clippings, tree limbs, hay and straw free of charge from Mesa County residents.
To view other alternatives to burning, and for additional information about burn permits, check out our Guide to Burning.