To prevent wildland fires in Vermont, the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation works with Town Forest Fire Wardens and partners in the following ways:
- Open Burning Permits or a “Permit to Kindle Fire” regulates open burning in every town in Vermont. Town Forest Fire Wardens are responsible for issuing open burning permits if fuel and weather conditions are safe for outdoor burning. Fire Wardens have the authority to ban open burning in their towns during times of high fire danger or hazardous local conditions.
- Education. The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) distributes fire prevention informational materials and Smokey Bear related items throughout the state to fire departments, at town safety fairs, and for state park programs every year. Smokey Bear is available to attend these events upon request. The Vermont Rural Fire Protection Task Force assists FPR in public education outreach. For more information about fire prevention check out these resources:
- Open Burning Fire Weather Awareness. FPR, in collaboration with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Burlington, Vermont, has an active public and media awareness program that addresses human-caused ignitions. The "Open Burning Fire Weather Awareness" campaign is a week-long informational series addressing wildland fire occurrence, fuels, fire danger, Red Flag events, and fire weather forecasting. This information is also posted on the NWS Burlington website, and a media packet is distributed to area media outlets to provide them with talking points, graphics, and photos. Want to learn more about fire weather? Check out our fire weather page Monitoring Fire Danger.
- Burn Bans. During periods of extended very high to extreme fire danger or prolonged drought, FPR will consult with Town Forest Fire Wardens and cooperators for implementing statewide burn bans. Considerations used for implementing a burn ban include the current state of fuels, current weather pattern and extended forecast, level of fire occurrence, etc. In most years, Town Forest Fire Wardens have banned local burning when conditions have been hazardous until significant rainfall has occurred. If the hazardous state of fuels and weather are expected to continue for an extended period of time, the State may issue a burn ban.
